Finding Your Perfect Neighborhood

Below is a handy checklist of questions to ask:

What parks are nearby?

Is it scenic and visually appealing?

Are there quiet areas, streets, culs de sac?

Are the neighbors friendly?

Is the neighborhood clean?  Yards, streets, parks?

Are there nice trees and foliage?

Do the lots have large or small yards?

Are there walkways and are they easily accessible?

Is the neighborhood safe?

What are the market values of the homes in the area?

Are there many houses for sale?

How long ago was the community developed?

What is the average age of the people in the area?

Are there families with small children in the area?

What is the proximity to schools?

Are there community events or organizations?

How good are the local schools?

Is a bird in the hand worth two in the bush? ... Maybe

It may or may not happen, so waiting is a gamble.  But, there are more than rumors that indicate that the tax credit will not disappear this fall.  Instead it might actually increase!  Would I wait?  Personally, "no"... if I found the house I wanted and I could buy it, then I would take my $8,000 gift and go running to the bank!  In the long run, $8,000 is a drop in the bucket.

See homes for sale in Dallas Fort Worth today.

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With the tax credit scheduled to expire in fall, some business groups say the amount of the credit, now capped at $8,000, should be raised to $15,000 and applied to anyone who buys a home.

First-time buyers make up a hefty 40% of home purchases, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which is about 5 percentage points higher than the historical average.

The credit, introduced in July 2008, was expanded in February as part of the economic stimulus package. The proposals may face headwinds amid growing public criticism of government spending to rescue the economy and the widening budget deficit.

Some economists say a tax benefit is vital to spur home buying and help stabilize prices.

Source: USA Today (read full article)

Two South Dallas Neighborhoods Earn Dubious Honor of Making it into the Top 25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in Nation List

Out of 25 neighborhoods, these two neighborhoods ranked #9 and #12 most dangerous.

See homes for sale in these neighborhoods.

Dallas is the 4^th Coolest Singles Town in the Nation... according to Forbes

#1   Atlanta

#2   San Francisco

#3   Minneapolis

#4   Dallas

#5 Washington D.C

#6 Seattle

#7 Boston

#8 New York City

#9 Orlando

#10 Phoenix

The competition was fierce but Big D beat my old home town of DC.  see full story.

Find cool places to live in Dallas-Fort Worth on the coolest real estate map in the nation.