Keller Williams Continues to Lead the Pack

2017 has been a great year and Keller Williams has been honored to receive a number of prestigious awards.  We are excited to continue excelling in our field!

• Training Magazine
  #1 training organization across all industries
• REAL Trends 500
  Keller Williams had more offices (161) represented on top real estate brokerages list than any other franchise
• REAL Trends/ Wall Street Journal "The Thousand"
  Keller Williams had more agent teams ranked by closed transactions and sales volume than any other franchise
• RIS Media Power Broker Report
  Keller Williams ranked #1 Power Broker by Brand - home to 32 percent of top brokers
• REALTOR Magazine
  Keller Williams home to industry-leading five 30 Under 30 winners
• Swanepoel Power 200
  Eight representatives on list of most powerful people in residential real estate, including Gary Keller, John Davis, and Mary Tennant
• Inman Real Estate Influencers of 2017
  Seven representatives on list of industry influencers, including Chief Innovation Officer Josh Team
• National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals 250
  Keller Williams is home to 37 agents on NAHREP's list of top-producing Latino agents including 7 of the Top 10
• Forbes
  #3 on list of Happiest Companies to Work for in 2017
• Entrepreneur Magazine
  Top Company Cultures
• Entrepreneur Magazine
  Moved up 63 spots on Franchise 500 list of top franchises
• Franchise Business Review
  Top-rated real estate franchise based on franchisee satisfaction
• Franchise Business Review 
  One of the Top 50 Franchises for Women
• Franchise Times
  Only real estate company on "Fast & Serious" list of 40 smartest-growing brand

Just one more reason Keller Williams is ranked #1 happiest place to work in 2018!!​​

Christie Cannon | REALTOR
The Cannon Team
Keller Williams Realty Frisco
469-951-9588
www.ChristieCannon.com

500 High-Skill Jobs Coming to Sherman

More companies are deciding that North Texas is the place to be! Apple recently announced that it has awarded Finisar, an optical communication components manufacturer, $390 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund.  Finisar is expected to create 500 high-skill jobs, including engineers, technicians and maintenance teams right here in North Texas.

Finisar will transform a shuttered, 700,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Sherman, Texas, into a high-tech facility developing VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) chips. VCSEL technology is used to power Apple product features such as Face ID, Animoji, portrait mode selfies and proximity-sensing capabilities. One hundred percent of the VCSELs Apple buys from Finisar will be made in Texas. The hiring process has already begun and the Sherman plant is scheduled to start shipping out products by late 2018.

The City of Sherman has been investing significantly in improved infrastructure and amenities, creating an unparalleled quality of life for its citizens. One more reason DFW is one of the fastest growing areas in the US!

Christie Cannon | REALTOR
The Cannon Team
Keller Williams Realty Frisco
469-951-9588
www.ChristieCannon.com
 

High-Speed Texas Bullet Train Takes Another Step Forward    

The proposed Texas bullet train would connect Dallas and Houston. (Photo courtesy of Texas Central Partners)

It may soon be a whole lot faster to get from Dallas to Houston!  The Federal Railroad Administration approved a route for the high-speed Texas Bullet Train that would connect Dallas to Houston, the state’s two largest urban areas.  According to the Texas Tribune, there aren’t many surprises in the announced route, as it had already been largely solidified. Now that the route has been finalized, there will be a public process in the early part of the year to gather feedback about the route. The release of the draft Friday marked a major step toward getting federal clearance for the project. The high-speed rail project will require the developer to buy up thousands of rural properties across the state.

Central Texas Partners released this map showing the likely route of a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston.  Graphic by Emily Albracht for The Texas Tribune

Texas Central promises to run high-speed trains that would travel up to 205 mph as they carry people between the state's two biggest urban areas in only 90 minutes. The $12 billion project will have stations in Dallas, Grimes County & Houston. The Dallas Station will be located just south of Downtown, while there are three potential Houston station locations. They are planning on breaking ground in late 2018 or early 2019 with expected operations to begin in 2023. A high-speed rail line between two of the country’s biggest, fastest-growing metros could have a major impact on transportation, jobs and economic development!

Christie Cannon | REALTOR
The Cannon Team
Keller Williams Realty Frisco
469-951-9588
www.ChristieCannon.com
 

Before You Make an Offer, Here Are 4 Tips for Success!

So, you’ve been searching for that perfect house to call a ‘home,’ and you finally found it! The price is right, and in such a competitive market, you want to make sure that you make a good offer so that you can guarantee that your dream of making this house yours comes true!

Freddie Mac covered “4 Tips for Making an Offer” in their Executive Perspective. Here are the 4 tips they covered along with some additional information for your consideration:

1. Understand How Much You Can Afford

“While it’s not nearly as fun as house hunting, fully understanding your finances is critical in making an offer.”

This ‘tip’ or ‘step’ should really take place before you start your home search process.

Getting pre-approved is one of many steps that will show home sellers that you are serious about buying, and will allow you to make your offer with the confidence of knowing that you have already been approved for a mortgage for that amount. You will also need to know if you are prepared to make any repairs that may need to be made to the house (ex: new roof, new furnace).

2. Act Fast

“Even though there are fewer investors, the inventory of homes for sale is also low and competition for housing continues to heat up in many parts of the country.” 

The inventory of homes listed for sale has remained well below the 6-month supply that is needed for a ‘normal’ market. Buyer demand has continued to outpace the supply of homes for sale, causing buyers to compete with each other for their dream homes.

Make sure that as soon as you decide that you want to make an offer, you work with your agent to present it as soon as possible.

3. Make a Solid Offer

Freddie Mac offers this advice to help make your offer the strongest it can be:

“Your strongest offer will be comparable with other sales and listings in the neighborhood. A licensed real estate agent active in the neighborhoods you are considering will be instrumental in helping you put in a solid offer based on their experience and other key considerations such as recent sales of similar homes, the condition of the house and what you can afford.”

Talk with your agent to find out if there are any ways that you can make your offer stand out in this competitive market!

4. Be Prepared to Negotiate

“It’s likely that you’ll get at least one counteroffer from the sellers so be prepared. The two things most likely to be negotiated are the selling price and closing date. Given that, you’ll be glad you did your homework first to understand how much you can afford.

Your agent will also be key in the negotiation process, giving you guidance on the counteroffer and making sure that the agreed-to contract terms are met.”

If your offer is approved, Freddie Mac urges you to “always get an independent home inspection, so you know the true condition of the home.” If the inspector uncovers undisclosed problems or issues, you can discuss any repairs that may need to be made with the seller, or cancel the contract.

Bottom Line 

Whether buying your first home or your fifth, having a local real estate professional who is an expert in their market on your side is your best bet to make sure the process goes smoothly. Let’s talk about how we can make your dreams of homeownership a reality!

Christie Cannon | REALTOR
The Cannon Team
Keller Williams Realty Frisco
469-951-9588
www.ChristieCannon.com

Reasons to Smile: Keller Williams Ranked #1 Happiest Place to Work

Ask most business leaders and they’ll tell you that success starts with smart hiring & satisfied workers.  Keller Williams is undoubtedly following this key business guideline and giving its employees plenty of reasons to smile these days. According to career site CareerBliss, Keller Williams is ranked the number one happiest company in America to work for in 2018. The rankings recognize businesses that are dedicated to to creating a happier work environment for their employees.  Each company’s BlissScore includes factors such as company culture, leadership, overall work atmosphere, and one’s relationship with coworkers. Keller Williams tops this list because it prides itself on a unique, agent-centric culture that focuses on cutting edge technology, education & services.

The Christie Cannon Team is proud to be partnered with Keller Williams Realty and look forward to passing on its high level of professionalism & expertise to our clients. You can view the full list of Happiest Places to Work in 2018 here.

Christie Cannon | REALTOR
The Christie Cannon Team
Keller Williams Realty Frisco
469-951-9588
www.ChristieCannon.com
 

Many people understand & believe that home ownership is key to fulfilling the American Dream.  In a world where affordability varies so widely and is affected by so many factors, the folks over at HowMuch.net created an amazing visual aid to offer an easy apple-to-apples comparison.  Using US Census Data  to determine median incomes v/s media sale prices, these experts broke down each cities respective housing costs to the number of hours required to cover an average mortgage.  While Memphis, TN can be home by Wednesday, New York, NY will be putting away some late night hours.

Want to see how your individual city faired, be sure to check out the source data found here: https://howmuch.net/sources/hours-work-afford-home

Christie Cannon | REALTOR
The Christie Cannon Team
Keller Williams Realty Frisco
469-951-9588
www.ChristieCannon.com
 

Brief:

• Sales of existing single-family homes in Dallas–Fort Worth, TX, during Q1 were on pace to equal or surpass 2016's figures, according to the Dallas Business Journal, making it another record year.
• Prices for those properties are also expected to keep climbing as supply there continues to contract. The market has a 2.2-month inventory of single-family homes, compared to the 6-month stock needed for equilibrium.
• For the first time, the median home price in that market ($236,500 in Q1), was higher than the national median ($232,100 for the quarter) and represented one of the country's largest home-price increases for the period, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Insight:

One of the nation's fastest-growing cities, Dallas is a hotbed for new construction as companies relocate to the area motivated in part by its historically lower costs of doing business and, for employees, cost of living.

A host of projects catering to this uptick in demand are in the works. Earlier this month, Houston-based developer Hines announced plans for a 135-acre "live-work-play" mixed-use complex that will bring 3.5 million square feet of office, residential and retail space to one Dallas suburb. 

In April, developers broke ground on the 262-acre, $1 billion Bayside mixed-use project in Rowlett, TX, that will see an 8-acre lagoon and a 1,000 boat-marina added along Lake Ray Hubbard. The complex will also include 1.5 million square feet of commercial space, a 500-room resort and more than 2,500 condos, apartments, townhomes and single-family residences.

Along Frisco, TX's "$5 billion mile" is the $1.5 billion Frisco Station mixed-use development currently under construction. The 242-acre project will eventually feature 2,400 residential units, a 40-acre medical center, 650 hotel rooms and 300,000 square feet of dining, retail and entertainment space.

The rapid development in Dallas–Fort Worth has analysts worried the area could lose its status as a historically affordable market. As demand picks up and inventory lags, big builders are digging in. Taylor Morrison, for example, has said it intends to grow its presence there, announcing plans in October 2016 for two master-planned communities in the city's northern suburbs. 

Texas' housing boom drove the state to a 38% share of the MPC market in 2016 — the most of any state, and a 28-percentage-point increase in its share of all U.S. MPCs since the 1990s.

Recommended Reading:

•  Dallas Business JournalHousing market in DFW keeping pace with last year's record results
•  The Dallas Morning NewsD-FW home prices top national median for first time in Realtors' survey

The Christie Cannon Team | Keller Williams Frisco TX | www.christiecannon.com

4783 Preston Rd #300 Frisco TX

Congratulations to The Christie Cannon Team of Keller Williams Frisco TX for being named by Real Estate Executive Magazine to the 100 Most Influential Real Estate Agents in North Texas!

Renovations continue at Plano's The Shops at Willow Bend. The demolition of now vacant Saks Fifth Avenue is well under way and a $100million renovation by Starwood Retail Partners has begun. 

According to Dallas Morning News, currently plans are to be completed in 2018 & include:

— A pedestrian-friendly restaurant row visible from the Dallas North Tollway will go in where Saks Fifth Avenue is being torn down after sitting empty since 2010.

— A nine-story, 200,000 square-foot office building will be built where a Mercury restaurant once stood. The tower's lobby will be connected to the mall.

— A boutique hotel or an entertainment venue is planned on the west side of the mall.

—  And a fitness club is being courted for a spot between Crate & Barrel and Restoration Hardware where a fountain now sits.

The expansion will incorporate an open-air concept mall with Willow Bend's current anchor retailers. which include Texas' native Neiman Marcus.

Christie Cannon  REALTOR

The Christie Cannon Team

Keller Williams Frisco TX

469.951.9588: Mobile

972.215.7747: Office

Voted as one of the BEST Realtors in D Magazine for 2010-2016

Voted as a Five Star Professional 2012-2016 Texas Monthly Magazine

Name among America's Best Real Estate Agents by Real Trends Magazine

Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

Global Property Specialist

#1 Keller Williams Agent 2011-2015

Top 100 Agents in the Nation / KW

4783 Preston Road #300, Frisco, TX 75034

Frisco Fast Facts & Stats

• Land square miles - 70.2
• Land Developed - 62%
• Growth Rate 2000 – 2014 - 307%
• Population 7.01.2016 - 156,320
• Population 2000 Census - 33,714
• Population Build Out - 375,000+