Dreaming of a Vacation Home?...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) – Been dreaming of a vacation home? Somewhere warm to get away? Or maybe a cabin in the woods? Prices are right if you can afford it. The median price of a vacation home was $150,000 in 2010, down 11.2% from a year earlier, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday. In contrast, the national median for primary residences fell only 4.5% in 2010, according to NAR. “The fall in...

Home Improvements for $1,000 or Less...

Make Over Cabinets, $1,000 Give your dowdy kitchen cabinetry a lift with paint and new hardware. Proper preparation — cleaning, sanding, priming and painting with an oil-based or 100% acrylic paint — is key to a good-looking, long-lasting result. Using a paint sprayer helps, too (rent one from a paint or home-improvement store). Pros charge an average of $547 to do the job with one coat of paint on 150 square feet...

Short Sales Can Benefit Buyers & Sellers...

Homeowners who are “underwater” in their homes – owing more on their mortgage than the value of the home – can turn to a short sale to avoid foreclosure. Simply put, a short sale is accomplished when the homeowners sell the property and their lender or multiple lien holders agree to accept the sale price as payment on the loan. In December, a client of Matt Martin Real Estate Management in Vienna completed a...

McKinney Welcomes International Development...

McKinney has done a lot of business with national corporations such as Blockbuster and Torchmark, but now the city hopes to reach beyond just the country’s borders. McKinney Mayor Brian Loughmiller welcomed to the city Joseph Chen, director-general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), on Thursday at the Eldorado Country Club with an Honorary Citizen award and a key to the city. Chen’s office in...

In-N-Out Burger Plans to Expand in North Texas...

The Dallas distribution center of the In-N-Out Burger Inc. is scheduled to open in the southwest portion of the city by the end of April — which will lead to the expansion of the burger chain’s restaurants throughout North Texas. “Dallas is an ideal location for the distribution center, because we can easily serve the greater D-FW market and, longer term, we can reach the other major markets in Texas,”...

Helpful Tips for Growing Beautiful Roses...

For centuries, the ubiquitous rose has been loved and desired more than any other flower. This simple and fragrant bloom that comes in every color of the rainbow has inspired poets and lovers—and it has both charmed and frustrated many a gardener. A common myth is that roses are fussy and hard to grow. But, thanks to today’s improved hybrids—sturdy varieties that bloom repeatedly and resist disease—the rose is one of...

Pending Home Sales Up in February...

WASHINGTON — Pending sales of previously owned U.S. homes unexpectedly rose in February, a trade group said on Monday, pointing to a modest pick-up in home sales. The National Association of Realtors said its Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed in February, increased 2.1 percent to 90.8. Economists had expected the index, which leads existing home sales by a month or two, to fall 1.0 percent after a...

Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum...

Spring flowers are here in full force and Dallas features 66-acres worth of this season’s most colorful blooms. This spring, the Dallas Arboretum invites everyone to enjoy the 27th anniversary of Dallas Blooms. The “floral festival” is comprised of 500,000 spring-blooming bulbs, 3,000 azaleas, 100,000 pansies, violas, poppies and more along the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake in Dallas. Though regularly on...

Plano Sees Growth of 17% in Last 10 Years...

Thursday, the U.S. Census Bureau is releasing another installment of data taken from the 2010 Census. The bureau releases information such as population figures on a state-by-state basis, and they show Plano is still the ninth largest city in Texas with a population of 259,841 people as of last April. “It means we’re one of the larger cities in Texas and also the United States,” said Steve Sims, a senior planner with...

February 2011 Real Estate Transactions for Univers...

The sold volume of homes declined from $28.5 million in February 2010 to $12.3 million in February 2011, or a drop of 56.7%. The median sales price also decreased from $1,625,000 to $844,500. Homes sold in February 2011 were on the market for fewer days before selling when compared to February 2010. Homes in the $1-$2 million range were on the market for 201 days before selling in February 2010 and 125 days in February...