Real Estate Information Archive

If you purchased a home this past year, now is the time to file your homestead exemption (if applicable).   Despite any mail you may receive from a service offering to do this for a fee, paying such a fee is not required.

So what does a Homestead exemption do? 

A homestead exemption removes part of your home’s value from taxation.  The Homestead Exemption also “caps” the taxable market value growth for your home!  It may also afford you certain legal protections from creditors & circumstances arising from the death of a spouse.

How does a homestead exemption work?

For most home owners, they seek an exemption for the possibility of lowering their taxable value.  Simply as an example, if a home were assessed by the county at $200,000, and the home owner received a $20,000 exemption – they would be taxed on $180,000 for their homestead.

Do all homes qualify for an exemption?

No, typically only your primary residence will qualify. The homeowner must be an individual (not a corporation or business entity) and have owned/occupied the home prior to January 1^st of the tax year.  For an Over-65 or Disabled exemption,  the Jan 1^st requirement is waived.

What homestead exemptions exist?

Any taxing unit, including a city, county, school, or special district, may offer an exemption of up to 20 percent of a home's value (but not less than $5,000). Additional Homestead Exemptions exist for “65 or older” &/or “Dis-abled”, Over-55 Surviving Spouse of a Person Who Received an over 65 Exemption, 100% Disabled Veteran, & Service Connected Disabled Veteran & Surviving Spouses.

What if my home has more than 1 owner?

You may still qualify if you are not the sole owner. For instance, if you own 50% of the property, & otherwise qualify, you may received 50% of the tax benefit.

When is the filing deadline?

BETWEEN JANUARY 1 & APRIL 30…..   and again, it is FREE!

OH NO!  I missed by deadline last year, did I miss my chance?

You may file up to one year from the date the taxes became delinquent!

What is the Homestead Cap?

Your homestead is protected from future appraisal tax-value increases in excess of 10% per year from the date of the last appraisal PLUS the value of any NEW improvements (like an addition, pool, etc).

How do I file?

Filing is done at your local county &/or county assessor’s office. 

Collin County click HERE

Denton County click HERE

Dallas County click HERE

Not sure you filed last year?

You can check in your local county’s tax rolls or simply give the county a call & they will be happy to confirm.

Want to know more?

Collin County & Denton County each have excellent FAQ’s on their websites!

Don’t see your county, check here!

https://www.comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/county-directory/

Have additional questions, please let us know!

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

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

Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

Global Property Specialist

#1 Keller Williams Agent 2011-2016

Top 50 Agents in the Nation / KW

4783 Preston Rd #300 Frisco TX 75034

Christie Cannon & The Christie Cannon Team of Keller Williams Frisco is proud to announce that we have been fortunate to partner with developer Texas North Residential to assist them in selling their most recent community – Provence | McKinney, TX!

Provence in McKinney, TX is a luxury townhome community boasting an easy living lifestyle, quality construction, rich designer details, and modern, elegant designs.  This small boutique community will offer approximately 80 townhomes, each able to tailored to a fit & finish of an owner’s style.  From delightfully appointed standard features, to the possibility of residential elevators, Provence strives to impress!

Nestled in West McKinney, a city named Money Magazine’s #1 Best Place to Live, this gorgeous community is centrally located with easy access to DFW’s two major airports, historic downtown McKinney and the Tollways.  Tree line streets, sculpture gardens, winding walking paths and an adjoining park create a tranquil setting.  Gabe Nesbit park and McKinney’s award winning APEX Fitness Center are only steps away!

We look forward to bringing you more news soon from this exciting community!

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

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

Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

Global Property Specialist

#1 Keller Williams Agent 2011-2016

Top 50 Agents in the Nation / KW

4783 Preston Rd #300 Frisco TX 75034

One of Frisco's most anticipated luxury communities, has broken ground & is moving towards their grand opening!  Hines, a Houston based developer, has been developing one of Frisco’s most coveted tracks along Stonebrook & Legacy.

The expected list of builders for this community includes some of the areas most respected:

• Highland Homes
• Huntington Homes
• Sanders Custom Homes
• Darling Homes
• Shaddock Homes
• Ron Davis Custom Homes
• Village Builders
• Coventry Homes

This premium location boasts Frisco ISD’s Allen Elementary & private school Legacy Christian Academy to the East & Frisco ISD’s Reedy High school & B.F. Phillips Community Park to the West.  Edgestone at Legacy enjoys a greenbelt of mature trees lining the winding path of Stewart Creek. 

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

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

Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

Global Property Specialist

#1 Keller Williams Agent 2011-2016

Top 50 Agents in the Nation / KW

4783 Preston Rd #300 Frisco TX 75034

Inadequate Inventory Driving Prices Up

The latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) revealed a direct correlation between a lack of inventory and rising prices. We are all familiar with the concept of supply and demand. As the demand for an item increases the supply of that same item goes down, driving prices up. Year-over-year inventory levels have dropped each of the last 18 months, as inventory now stands at a 4.0-month supply, well below the 6.0-month supply needed for a ‘normal’ market. The median price of homes sold in November (the latest data available) was $234,900, up 6.8% from last year and marking the 57 consecutive month with year-over-year gains.

NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun had this to say:

"Existing housing supply at the beginning of the year was inadequate and is now even worse heading into 2017. Rental units are also seeing this shortage. As a result, both home prices and rents continue to far outstrip incomes in much of the country."

But there is good news about rising prices. More and more homeowners are recovering from a negative equity situation and learning that they are able to sell their homes and either move up to their dream home or downsize to a property that will better suit their needs. Look for these homes to come to market soon.

Buyer demand continues to outpace the supply of homes for sale. Listing your home in the winter attracts serious buyers who are looking to close the transaction quickly.

Tis the season for Chistmas lights & busted pipes!

While we may not experience the long cold winters of some of our more northern cousins, we have experienced long enough cold snaps to freeze pipes and damage homes.

Here are some helpful tips to help you prepare a home you may be selling (or any home) for the cold.

Every indication is yes! 

It appears that the owner posted his willingness to sell this home on Facebook.com – however, there was a catch, you need to move it - as the dirt it sits on isn’t included.

Located in a community where real estate investment & development is booming, Mr. Barrow put the Fort Worth home up for sale with the noble goal of preserving the historic 1904 home from the fate of many other “tear down” in the area.

As long-time residents of Frisco, we have seen several historic homes be moved in order to protect them from the record growth the city has experienced.  It is truly a labor of love & dedication.

Kudos to Mr Barrow for taking such an effort to help preserve an amazing piece of history.

You can read more about Mr. Wade Barrow’s amazing story & the sale of this historic home here or see Mr. Barrow’s interview at WFAA.com.

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

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

Named among The Top 250 Real Estate Teams in nation, as seen in The Wall Street Journal

Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

Global Property Specialist

#1 Keller Williams Agent 2011-2015

Top 50 KW agents world-wide

Tis the season when the agents of The Christie Cannon Team offers up our best nod to Clark W. Griswold with the best of Christmas & Holiday Lights in North TX.

While our father's may have "taught us everything we know about exterior illumination," we are not above some advice, so please help us make a great list with your comments & suggestions!

• Frisco Square - Drawing over 675,000 visitors seasonally, Frisco Square offers North TX largest choreographed light display!  Boasting snow machines, sled riding events, horse drawn carriage rides, light & music shows, outdoor ice skating & even a parachuting Santa - this place has it all!  Starts Nov 25th
• Highland Park & Highland Park Village - What can I say?  Gorgeous architecture complemented by professional Christmas lighting.  Spanning about 20 blocks, this is the perfect time to splurge on a horse drawn carriage ride.
• SMU's Annual Celebration of Lights -  Another long-time tradition & boasting over 100,000 lights. Starts Nov 28th
• Deerfield, Plano - Starting (officially) on December 1st, this quintessential Plano neighborhood is jammed packed with gorgeous home competing for the best, funniest, & most traditional displays.  Check out their website for best routes, carriage ride info, & even segway tours!
• Prairie Lights - Growing larger each year, this Grand Prairie display is located in Lynn Creek Park and has become a destination in its own right.  Offering a 2-mile path of lights, a laser light display, holiday village, & more.  Be sure to check out their website as there are costs for this one!
• Interlochen in Arlington - A North TX original, this community has been wowing light viewers for over 40-years!
• Tour of Lights in Farmers Branch - over 500,00 twinkle lights will delight.  This is any easy one for those who like to stay in the car.
• Vitruvian Lights in Addison - Located in Vitruvian park, this one excites with food trucks, FREE photos with Santa & Reindeer, Holiday Village, & Free Concerts in the park!
• Texas Motor Speedway - Supporting Toys for Tots, this huge display boasts a drive-thru display & Santa's Village.  Be sure to check out the website for pricing!
• ICE & the Gaylord Texan Resort - Ice skating, gingerbread house building, sled riding, Santa photos, Holiday village, light displays, 2+ million pounds of ice, what do they not have?
• The Pharrs in Farmers Branch - Located at 14535 Southern Pines Cove, this family has been celebrating Christmas in a big way & share their joy from their own front lawn!
• The Trains at North Park - OK - two warning are required, they are not technically lights... but I still feel nostalgia for making the trip to the city to watch the trains at Christmas.  The second warning, watch out for the shopping at this one!
• Dallas Children's Holiday Parade - Again, not technically lights, but come-on, its a parade - what Grinch doesn't like a parade?  This one has been going on since 1987 & frankly doesn't get its due!
• The Krampus Walk - Hey, it can't all be about the kiddo's.  This what happens when you have a much "hipper" brother & sister-in-law who are not in "the 'burbs" - you learn about the Krampus pub crawl... I mean "walk" through Deep Ellum.
• Christmas in the Stockyards in Fort Worth - Hey, its TX - we need a Christmas Cattle Drive to go along with our caroling & the Stockyards is the place to see it.  On December 12 the Snowball Express will be welcomed at the Stockyards with the Walk of Gratitude.  For those not in the know - the Snowball Express is a charity that supports & honors the children of men & women who have fallen in service to our great nation.

Have some ideas & comments that will help our list?  We would love to hear from you! 

Thank you & we wish you a very Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday Season!

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

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

Named among the Top 250 Real Estate Teams in the Nation, as seen The Wall Street Journal

Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist

Global Property Specialist - Marketing with a Gloabal Reach

#1 Keller Williams Agent 2011-2015

Top 50 Agents with KW Realty International

Frisco TX | Keller Williams Frisco TX | Christie Cannon | 469-951-9588

This past Monday, the Frisco ISD school board proposed the 2016-17 attendance zone changes. Earlier this year, the voters in Frisco ISD voted 58% against for a proposed 13-cent property tax increase.  As a result of the unexpected outcome, Frisco ISD proposed a reduced budget for 2017-18.  Included in this proposal was the delayed opening on multiple new schools.  As a result of these delays, the Frisco ISD proposed Monday a rezoning for a few hundred Frisco ISD students.

The families of students are expected to be contacted by Frisco ISD and will be given an opportunity to provide their input by December 12th.  The school board's final decision is expected to be reached at a final vote on Jan 17th. 

The latest information, FAQ's, & details on Frisco ISD's zoning can be found at www.friscoisd.org/departments/attendance-zones/rezoning

Relationships have formed the foundation for successful businesses for centuries, but how those relationships can benefit a business has evolved over time. Today, client relationships that result in referrals can fuel your growth and success both online and off.

Christie Cannon, a Keller Williams Luxury Homes International agent who specializes in Frisco and its surrounding communities north of Dallas, has put those referrals to work for her in a Texas-sized way.

“More than half of our business comes from referrals,” Cannon says. Through sourcing her business, Cannon finds that many new clients heard about her from a previous client.

Cannon’s results speak for themselves. Her team’s current closed sales for 2014 top $60 million with 20 current listings and 31 contracts in closing, not to mention plans for a 20 percent increase in production in 2015. Those plans undoubtedly will be aided by her strong referral program.

“Reaching out to current, past and future clients is so important because they all have a referral to give,” she says. “The most important part of building a referral-based business is building strong business relationships with your clients along the way.”

In order to build those relationships, Cannon and her team have created a solid referral protocol for each and every one of her customers and clients. “Every person in our database is on an action plan of some kind. Each action plan is set up to cater to the specific needs of each contact. The activities in our action plans will vary, but they all include offering something of value to each person. Our contacts are the heart of our company, and we treat them as such.”

When the team receives a referral, the client is sent a handwritten thank-you card as well as a small gift. That strategy has paid dividends dating back to Cannon’s very first client in 2003.

“Ironically enough, one of my very first transactions was a small $48,000 home, and to this date, that client has completed five other transactions with me and is still referring business to me,” she says. “I started getting my systems in place early on, and the systems are what helped me get organized and get in touch to grow and foster relationships with my clients. They have helped us maintain a consistent year-over-year growth pattern and get to where we are now.”

Now that Cannon and her team are part of KW Luxury Homes International, she has discovered that those referrals are even more valuable to her success.

Luxury home buyers and sellers are very seasoned,” Cannon says. “They rely heavily upon referrals. Keeping your name in front of the luxury market is important in maintaining a strong referral base.

While clients are the first ones that referral strategies are typically aimed at, Cannon also works hard to earn referrals from her local real estate colleagues and peers. To that end, she is committed to participating in networking events with other agents in and around her area. The best method she has found for earning those referrals is an unyielding dedication to professionalism.

“We have had agents – even within our own area – refer business to us,” she says. “It is such an honor to get a referral from another colleague. It’s important to maintain a professional relationship with not only your clients but also with your colleagues, as you may work with them multiple times over.”

For agents who are working to assemble a solid referral strategy, Cannon suggests keeping the client as your central focus and going back to basics to increase your referrals.

“A big mistake I see in a lot of agents is making this business all about them,” she says. “While we want to brand ourselves and relate to our clients, it’s not about you. This business is about catering to the needs of our clients and offering them a service and skill they can’t get anywhere else.”

With the client as your central focus, Cannon suggests going back to basics in order to up your referrals.

“The models and systems are there, so don’t skimp on your lead generation,” she says. “As part of your lead generation, you should be reaching out to your sphere and past clients every day. Put everyone you know into your CRM and get them set up on some type of action plan. Reach out to your contacts on a regular basis by sending handwritten notes, making phone calls and sending items of value to them. This is all part of an action plan.”

Cannon stresses that an action plan only works if you keep your clients’ needs in mind.

“If you’re sending something of value to your contacts, they have a reason to continue to receive information from you,” she says.

‘‘At the end of the day, Cannon credits the Keller Williams models and systems for her team’s impressive growth.

“It took me trying to invent my own models and systems several times over and failing before I realized how much Keller Williams Realty has to offer,” she says. “When I come across a topic I need another perspective on, I love that I can scan through interviews on Agent Mountain and find several interviews on that topic to help me. I love attending Family Reunion and Mega Camp. Both have helped me grow and improve year over year.”

To Contact Christie Cannon of Keller Williams Frisco TX, please call Christie Cannon at 469-951-9588 or email her at christie@christiecannon.com

Business Insider recently reported that the number of US foreclosure is at an all time low!

Combine this good news with the previous reporting that mortgage debt is actually decreasing.