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Thinking About Renovating? Top 4 Improvements for ROI

Monday, June 18, 2018
by Christie Cannon

Top 4 Home Renovations for Max ROI [INFOGRAPHIC] | MyKCM

Some Highlights:

  • Whether you are selling your home, just purchased your first home or are a homeowner planning to stay put for a while, there is value in knowing which home improvement projects will net you the most Return On Investment (ROI).
  • Minor bathroom renovations can go a long way toward improving the quality of your everyday life and/or impressing potential buyers.
  • Upgrading your landscaping or curb appeal helps get buyers in the door. These upgrades rank as the 2nd and 4threnovations for returns on investment


Christie Cannon | REALTOR
The Christie Cannon Team
Keller Williams Realty Frisco
972-215-7747
www.ChristieCannon.com

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Millennials Are Moving Into Their Dream Homes

Thursday, June 14, 2018
by Christie Cannon

Millennials Are Skipping Starter Homes for Their Dream Homes

Millennials Are Skipping Starter Homes for Their Dream Homes | MyKCM

A new trend has begun to emerge. With home prices skyrocketing in the starter home category, many first-time homebuyers are skipping the traditional starter homes and moving right into their dream homes.

What’s a Starter Home?

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), simply put, a starter home is a one or two-bedroom home (sometimes even a small, three bedroom). “Prices vary widely by market but starters on average cost $150,000 to $250,000 while trade-up and premium homes cost upwards of $300,000.”

Finding Their Forever Homes Now

A recent CNBC article revealed that there are many factors that delayed older millennials (ages 25-35) from buying a home earlier in their lives. The aftereffects of the Great Recession teaming up with larger education costs forced many to either remain living in their parent’s homes or to rent.

With the economy continuing to improve, many millennials have been able to break into better-paying jobs which has helped spur down payment savings. As the dream of homeownership comes closer to reality, many millennials are saving for their forever homes.

According to the latest statistics from NAR, 30% of millennials bought homes for $300,000 or more this year (up from 14% in 2013). Diane Swonk, Chief Economist at Grant Thornton weighed in saying, “They rented for longer. Now they’re going to where they want to stay.”

More and more millennials are settling down, getting married, and starting families, which is a huge factor driving them to look for larger homes.

Increased competition in the starter home market has also been a driving force in waiting to afford their dream homes. Inventory in the starter home market is down 14.2% from last year, according to research from Trulia. This has driven prices up and has led to bidding wars.

Many first-time buyers who were originally looking for starter homes are realizing that for just a little bit more of an investment, they could afford trade-up or premium homes instead.

Bottom Line

If you plan on purchasing your first home this year, let’s get together to determine how much house you can afford. You may be pleasantly surprised.

 

Christie Cannon | REALTOR
The Christie Cannon Team
Keller Williams Realty Frisco
972-215-7747
http://www.christiecannon.com
 

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Homeowners & Appraisers Are Starting to See Eye-to-Eye

Friday, June 8, 2018
by Christie Cannon

Homeowners & Appraisers See the Most Eye-to-Eye on Price in 3 Years

Homeowners & Appraisers See the Most Eye-to-Eye on Price in 3 Years | MyKCM

In today’s housing market, where supply is very low and demand is very high, home values are increasing rapidly. Many experts are projecting that home values could appreciate by another 5% (or more) over the next twelve months. One major challenge in such a market is the bank appraisal.

When prices are surging, it is difficult for appraisers to find adequate, comparable sales (similar houses in the same neighborhood that recently closed) to defend the selling price when performing the appraisal for the bank.

Every month in their Home Price Perception Index (HPPI), Quicken Loans measures the disparity between what a homeowner who is seeking to refinance their home believes their house is worth and what an appraiser’s evaluation of that same home is.

March 2015 marked the first month of a three-year gap between what an appraiser and a homeowner believed a home was worth. That gap widened to 2.65% in September 2015 and had consistently hovered between 1.0% and 2.0% through November 2017.

The chart below illustrates the changes in home price estimates over the last three years:

Homeowners & Appraisers See the Most Eye-to-Eye on Price in 3 Years | MyKCM
In the latest release, the disparity was the narrowest it has been since March 2015, as the gap between appraisers and homeowners was only -0.33%. This is important for homeowners to note as even a .33% difference in appraisal could equate to thousands of dollars that a buyer or seller has to come up with at closing (depending on the price of the home).

Bill Banfield, Executive VP of Capital Markets at Quicken Loans urges homeowners to find out how their local markets have been impacted by supply and demand: 

“The appraisal is one of the most important, although sometimes least predictable, parts of the mortgage process. The Home Price Perception Index is a way to illustrate the differences of opinion, and these differences affect everything from the type of mortgage a borrower can get to the expectations a seller has about the proceeds available upon sale of their home."
 

Bottom Line

Every house on the market must be sold twice; once to a prospective buyer and then again to the bank (through the bank’s appraisal). With escalating prices, the second sale may be even more difficult than the first. If you are planning on entering the housing market this year, let’s get together to discuss this and any other obstacles that may arise.

 

Christie Cannon | REALTOR
The Christie Cannon Team
Keller Williams Realty Frisco
972-215-7747
www.ChristieCannon.com

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Why Wait? Summer is a Great Time to Buy a Home!

Monday, June 4, 2018
by Christie Cannon

4 Reasons Why Summer Is a Great Time to Buy a Home!

4 Reasons Why Summer Is a Great Time to Buy a Home! | MyKCM

Here are four great reasons to consider buying a home today instead of waiting.

1. Prices Will Continue to Rise

CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Insights reports that home prices have appreciated by 7% over the last 12 months. The same report predicts that prices will continue to increase at a rate of 5.2% over the next year.

Home values will continue to appreciate for years. Waiting no longer makes sense.

2. Mortgage Interest Rates Are Projected to Increase

Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows that interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have increased by half a percentage point already in 2018 to around 4.5%. Most experts predict that rates will rise over the next 12 months. The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the National Association of Realtors are in unison, projecting that rates will increase by nearly a full percentage point by this time next year.

An increase in rates will impact YOUR monthly mortgage payment. A year from now, your housing expense will increase if a mortgage is necessary to buy your next home.

3. Either Way, You Are Paying a Mortgage

There are some renters who have not yet purchased a home because they are uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage. Everyone should realize that unless you are living with your parents rent-free, you are paying a mortgage – either yours or your landlord’s.

As an owner, your mortgage payment is a form of ‘forced savings’ that allows you to have equity in your home that you can tap into later in life. As a renter, you guarantee your landlord is the person with that equity.

Are you ready to put your housing cost to work for you?

4. It’s Time to Move on with Your Life

The ‘cost’ of a home is determined by two major components: the price of the home and the current mortgage rate. It appears that both are on the rise.

But what if they weren’t? Would you wait?

Look at the actual reason you are buying and decide if it is worth waiting. Whether you want to have a great place for your children to grow up, you want your family to be safer, or you just want to have control over renovations, maybe now is the time to buy.

If the right thing for you and your family is to purchase a home this year, buying sooner rather than later could lead to substantial savings.

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What Can Interest Rates Do to Your Purchasing Power?

Thursday, May 31, 2018
by Christie Cannon

How Current Interest Rates Can Have a High Impact on Your Purchasing Power

How Current Interest Rates Can Have a High Impact on Your Purchasing Power | MyKCM

According to Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, interest rates for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage are currently at 4.61%, which is still near record lows in comparison to recent history!

The interest rate you secure when buying a home not only greatly impacts your monthly housing costs, but also impacts your purchasing power.

Purchasing power, simply put, is the amount of home you can afford to buy for the budget you have available to spend. As rates increase, the price of the house you can afford to buy will decrease if you plan to stay within a certain monthly housing budget.

The chart below shows the impact that rising interest rates would have if you planned to purchase a home within the national median price range while keeping your principal and interest payments between $1,850-$1,900 a month.

How Current Interest Rates Can Have a High Impact on Your Purchasing Power | MyKCM

With each quarter of a percent increase in interest rate, the value of the home you can afford decreases by 2.5% (in this example, $10,000). Experts predict that mortgage rates will be closer to 5% by this time next year.

Act now to get the most house for your hard-earned money.

 

Christie Cannon | REALTOR
The Cannon Team
Keller Williams Realty Frisco
972-215-7747
www.ChristieCannon.com

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What are your plans for Memorial Day weekend?

Thursday, May 24, 2018
by Christie Cannon

 

Memorial Day Weekend is quickly approaching and with it comes plenty of events to get you outside to celebrate. Whether you are looking to enjoy food, hang out with friends, or take some time to remember our fallen soldiers, there’s an event for everyone!

Bike the Bricks
The city of McKinney is holding its ninth annual Bike the Bricks Criterium on Friday, May 25th from 2:30-11:30pm in Historic Downtown McKinney. Come & enjoy this free event in Downtown McKinney!

Carry the Load
Carry The Load's 2018 Memorial May Campaign to brings awareness to the True Meaning of Memorial Day. Funds raised during Memorial May provide direct support for healing of the mind, body and souls of our nation's military veterans, law enforcement, firefighters, first responders and their families. 

National Cemetery Administration
National Cemetery Administration will host Memorial Day ceremonies at VA national cemeteries across the country with the help of local communities.Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery will be holding their ceremony on May 28th at 11:00am.

Dallas Arboretum
Kick-off the holiday weekend with a concert by one of Dallas’ best party bands, The Grooves. Free admission all four days for active duty members, veterans and first responders. On Memorial Day, the events continue with face painting and a petting zoo in the Pecan Grove. Enjoy $2 hot dogs and root beer floats!

Granbury Square
Granbury, Texas is celebrating with a big 3 day patriotic festival around the downtown historic square with family activities, market booths,  live music, vintage military vehicles, hot dog eating contest, a special children’s play area and much more.

Fur Fun Run
Benefiting Patriot PAWS Service Dogs, the Memorial Day weekend paw-triotic run and walk is a fantastic event for the entire family and a terrific way to salute service dogs and the veterans they assist. Come down to Noble Ray Brewing on Saturday, May 26th for the pawtactular event!

Dallas Symphony Memorial Day Concert & Fireworks Display
In honor of America's veterans and first responders, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents a stirring concert of patriotic tunes that's free for the whole family. Pack a picnic and enjoy an evening under the stars. May 28th at 8:15pm at Flagpole Hill in Dallas.

International Foosball Promotions Texas State Championships
The Texas State Championships are being held this May 25-28 at the Westin Hotel in Irving. With competitors at every level from Beginner to master this is sure to be an exciting event!

National Polka Festival
The National Polka Festival® in Ennis, Texas invites you to come help celebrate fifty-two wonderful years of Czech heritage festivities Friday through Sunday, May 25-27, 2018.  Experience traditions, religious customs, dancing, tastes, sights, sounds, and "a little bit of the Czech Lands" throughout historic downtown Ennis and at our three spacious air conditioned halls.

Sunset at Memorial Park
Sunset Bike Ride & Ceremony on Monday, May 28th from 7:00-8:00pm at the Plano Veteran’s Memorial. No Fee to Participate & Free commemorative pin to the first 50 riders!

Summer Blast in Grapevine
Memorial Day Weekend kicks off Grapevine’s annual SummerBlast. SummerBlast features fun for the whole family including water parks, spectacular fireworks show set to music over Lake Grapevine, special exhibits, outdoor activities, dining, shopping and more.

 

Christie Cannon | REALTOR
The Christie Cannon Team
Keller Williams Realty Frisco
972-215-7747
www.christiecannon.com
 

 

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Christie Cannon Featured on The Working Title Podcast

Monday, March 5, 2018
by Christie Cannon

Christie Cannon was recently featured on The Working Podcast with Zach Sams of Kensington Vanguard.  In case you missed it, please find the entire podcast below and be sure to check out Christie on American Dream TV. 

Zach invites Christie Cannon of the Christie Cannon Team with Keller Williams on to the show to talk about the modular design of her full-suite team and their uncanny ability to cement themselves as one of the top Real Estate teams in the often unpredictable Dallas/ Fort Worth market year after year before digging into her upcoming segment on The American Dream TV and how she'll be filling home sellers in on the secret to selling without spending a dime this Saturday (March 3rd, 2018) at 1pm on TXA 21. For more about Christie and her team, visit www.christiecannon.com.

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How to Position your North Dallas Home for the Best Price

Sunday, February 25, 2018
by Christie Cannon

One of the most common questions every homeowner wants to know is how to make sure they maximize their financial reward when selling their home. But how do you set yourself up to ensure that you receive the maximum value for your house?

Here are two keys to ensure that you get the highest price possible.

1. Price it a LITTLE LOWER 

This may seem counterintuitive, but let’s look at this concept for a moment. Many homeowners think that pricing their homes a little OVER market value will leave them with room for negotiation. In actuality, this just dramatically lessens the demand for your house (see chart below).

2 Ways to Get the Most Money from The Sale of Your Home | Simplifying The Market

Instead of the seller trying to ‘win’ the negotiation with one buyer, they should price it so that demand for the home is maximized. By doing this, the seller will not be fighting with a buyer over the price but will instead have multiple buyers fighting with each other over the house.

Realtor.com gives this advice:

“Aim to price your property at or just slightly below the going rate. Today’s buyers are highly informed, so if they sense they’re getting a deal, they’re likely to bid up a property that’s slightly underpriced, especially in areas with low inventory.”

2. Use a Real Estate Professional

This, too, may seem counterintuitive. The seller may think they would make more money if they didn’t have to pay a real estate commission. With this being said, studies have shown that homes typically sell for more money when handled by a real estate professional.

A study by Collateral Analytics, reveals that FSBOs don’t actually save any money, and in some cases may be costing themselves more, by not listing with an agent.

In the study, they analyzed home sales in a variety of markets in 2016 and the first half of 2017. The data showed that:

“FSBOs tend to sell for lower prices than comparable home sales, and in many cases below the average differential represented by the prevailing commission rate.”

The results of the study showed that the differential in selling prices for FSBOs when compared to MLS sales of similar properties is about 5.5%. Sales in 2017 suggest the average price was near 6% lower for FSBO sales of similar properties.

Bottom Line

Price your house at or slightly below the current market value and hire a professional. This will guarantee that you maximize the price you get for your house.  To see what your home might be able to sell for, please click the link below! 

Free Home Price Estimation

 

Christie Cannon | The Christie Cannon Team | Keller Williams Frisco

469-951-9588 | www.ChristieCannon.com | 4783 Preston Rd # 300 Frisco TX

 
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DFW 4th Quarter Housing Market

Friday, February 16, 2018
by Christie Cannon

In a recent survey conducted by Metrostudy, the 4Q17 DFW housing market is pushing into a “New Affordable” Market.  As production in the $200-300k range is ramping up. Based on the survey, Metrostudy concluded the following:

  •         Dallas-Fort Worth remains the top new home market in the country, with quarterly starts up 16.9% YoY.Builders started 33,243 homes in 2017.
  •         We are seeing a jolt of starts between $200,000 and $300,000; an exciting development in DFW’s new home market which has suffered an extreme shortage of affordable, new homes since 2013.
  •         The median new home price rose slightly to $328,400, an annual increase of only 1.9%. The median resale price climbed 8.4%, further narrowing the difference between new and resales prices. Currently, the delta between the median resale and new home price is 32.3%.
  •         If developers deliver the large number of lots under construction and builders supply homes below $300,000, 2018 could be a banner year for DFW’s new home market

Metrostudy concludes, if developers deliver the large number of lots under construction and builders supply homes below $300,000, 2018 could be a banner year for DFW’s new home market.  Read the full article here.

 

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

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Why You Need a Professional on Your Team When Buying a Home

Monday, January 29, 2018
by Christie Cannon

Why You Need a Professional on Your Team When Buying a Home

Why You Need a Professional on Your Team When Buying a Home | Simplifying The Market

Many people wonder whether they should hire a real estate professional to assist them in buying their dream homes or if they should first try to go through the buying process on their own. In today’s market: you need an experienced professional!

You Need an Expert Guide If You Are Traveling a Dangerous Path

The field of real estate is loaded with landmines; you need a true expert to guide you through the dangerous pitfalls that currently exist. Finding a home that is priced appropriately and is ready for you to move into can be tricky. An agent listens to your wants and needs, and can sift through the homes that do not fit within the parameters of your “dream home.”

A great agent will also have relationships with mortgage professionals and other experts that you will need in order to secure your dream home. 

You Need a Skilled Negotiator

In today’s market, hiring a talented negotiator could save you thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of dollars. Each step of the way – from the original offer to the possible renegotiation of that offer after a home inspection, to the possible cancellation of the deal based on a troubled appraisal – you need someone who can keep the deal together until it closes.

Realize that when an agent is negotiating his or her commission with you, they are negotiating their own salary; the salary that keeps a roof over their family’s head; the salary that puts food on their family’s table. If they are quick to take less when negotiating for themselves and their families, what makes you think they will not act the same way when negotiating for you and your family?

If they were Clark Kent when negotiating with you, they will not turn into Superman when negotiating with the buyer or seller in your deal. 

Bottom Line

Famous sayings become famous because they are true. You get what you pay for. Just like a good accountant or a good attorney, a good agent will save you money…not cost you money.

 

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


 

 
 
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Photo of Christie Cannon Real Estate
Christie Cannon
Keller Williams Realty
5933 Preston Road #300
Frisco TX 75034
972-215-7747
Fax: 972-215-7748
Send an Email
Keller Williams Frisco - The Christie Cannon Team - http://www.christiecannon.com

 

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