Arbor Vista, Plano Texas

This blog post is dedicated to the neighborhood of Arbor Vista in Plano Texas. Arbor Vista homes are built in the 1990's and are between 2500 to 4500 square feet. Homes pictured are this album are for example only and are not necessarily for sale.

Homes in this area are so desirable that currently there are no active listings, but when one does come on the market, you can use this link to find them Arbor Vista Homes For Sale.

Buyers will love the quality of these great homes and sellers will enjoy a neighborhood where the market seems to be very tight.













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Time to Protect Your Texas Home

Did you buy a home in Texas in 2013?  It's time to file your Homestead Exemption with the county in which you reside.  Filing homestead protection is free, although you will probably receive several solicitations from people & companies offering to file it for a fee. Don't pay them.  All you have to do is go to the county website, enter your address and the form should be available there.

Part of filing homestead is that you lower your taxes, usually between 15% to 25%.  If you have other exemptions you can file those at the same time.  Often there are exemptions for Disabled Veterans, Disabled Citizens and people Over 65.

Also, pull out the HUD1 Closing statement for your transaction and take it to your accountant.  It's proof of your tax payments for the home which might be helpful.
Denton County, TX
Dallas County, TX
Collin County, TX
Tarrant County, TX

Getting on TV for doing the right thing brings positive reaction

It's a rare day that I watch sports and even more rare that I get featured on TV.  But this was that day.

On Monday evening WFAA Channel 8 Sports anchor, Dale Hanson, aired his "Unplugged" opinion segment in support of Michael Sam, the future NFL player who just came out.  Dale correctly recognized the monumental step that this young man was taking and very succinctly put to task those who oppose his entrance into the "manly" world of sports.

Being a social media person I immediately took to WFAA's Facebook page to thank Dale and to discuss the story with the various people who logged comments.  I must say I was happily surprised to see 95% of the 1,562 comments were positive.  The story has been shared 566 times and 4,562 likes.

This morning when I woke up my Twitter, Facebook and phone texts were filled with congratulations.   My comments were read on the air live on WFAA's morning show.  I had friends contacting me from all over my sphere and it was a great way to start the day.  I feel passionately about inclusion and standing up for my community.  And for a man of Dale Hansen's position to take such a progressive stand deserved praise and applause.  Many would have simply reported the news and stayed quiet.  He stood up, called it like he saw it, and that is what makes a leader.

This blog originally appeared at http://activerain.com/blogsview/4325695/getting-on-tv-doing-the-right-thing-gets-positive-reactions-

Check this house for a known FIRE HAZARD!

Check this house for a known FIRE HAZARD!

Do you own a home built in the 1970's and 1980's? It's very important that you find your breaker box and see if it's manufactured by FEDERAL PACIFIC. Sometimes the front label is painted over or missing so pop it open and look for the word "STAB-LOC" in the top center.  

These boxes will most likely burn when an electrical surge should trip a breaker. Inspectors will call these boxes out on their report when they find them, but many agents do not stress the importance of changing these boxes to their clients. If you find this type of box installed in your home, please call an electrician and get it replaced IMMEDIATELY. This company has gone out of business due to all the lawsuits over these defective boxes.  

Your family and your home are worth it. Please don't live with this fire hazard in your home.





This is a local home that burned. I don't know if it had this breaker box but I just have to wonder if they did.


This post originally appeared at http://activerain.com/blogsview/2261811/check-this-house-for-a-known-fire-hazard-

New Construction at The Village at Prosper Trail

I toured new homes this week at The Village of Prosper Trail.  New homes are being built by Metatel Homes and LionsGate Homes.  In the $300 to $400 price range.

The homes by LionsGate were decked out and dressed to impress.  They featured hardwood floors, granite, tumbled stone, and a wide variety of options.  Both home builders have great features but I was personally drawn more to LionsGate.

I love the brick work combined with the stained wood garage doors.  Very nice construction features. Each of the homes have several elevations (fronts) to pick from.




Beautiful kitchen can be designed the top-of-the-line appliances and materials.



I wish the staging of this home was a little more spartan.  They filled the house and it steals some of the space from the room.




There are still some lots available.  Call me today to see what lot fits your dream home best.

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These pictures show the model home built by Megatel Homes.  It's very nice and being undecorated the buyer can imprint their own needs upon the property.  They do have a nice green program for building.
 

Like many builders in this price point they are mixing stone with brick.


Beautiful kitchen with a great eat-at bar, stainless steel appliances, large cabinets and pantry.
This builder includes a pool in every home or it can be traded out for a three-car garage.

Beautiful mill work on the celing in the master bedroom

Large family room with media room attached.  I love the curved walls in both the family room and the Master bedroom.



Here's a slideshow of all the pictures and plans available at both builders.


This blog originally appeared at http://activerain.com/blogsview/4324676/new-construction-at-the-village-at-prosper-trail

Buying a Property Step 3 - Making the Offer

 3. Making an Offer
Once we find the perfect home you will want to make an offer. Several factors come into play at this point.

Price: First and foremost we want to find a fair price to offer. We will review comparable properties in the neighborhood, consider the condition of the property, the length of time the property has been on market, and perhaps the reason the seller is moving. We need to define how much of the purchase price is going to be in cash verses how much is going to be financed.

Length of Contract: We also need to consider the length of the contract; are we wanting to close quickly (under 20 days), normally (within 30 days) or do you want a longer closing (over 45 days).

Earnest Money: Earnest money is deposited with the Title Company when the contract is executed. Earnest money amounts vary depending upon the conditions of the contract. We can discuss what would seem to be appropriate.

Condition of Property: Normally the condition of the property is determined during the option period by doing inspections.

Length of Option Period: The option period is a predetermined time during which the Buyer can leave the contract for any reason. Normally the option period is between 5 to 10 days. During this time the buyer can have the property inspected, repairs can be negotiated with the seller and a decision can be made about leaving the contract or staying in the contract and proceeding to closing. If the buyer leaves the contract during the option period, the earnest money is refunded to the buyer. If the buyer decides to stay in the contact, then the earnest money is retained by the title company, and the earnest money & option fee are usually credited to the buyer at closing.

Seller's Disclosure: In most cases a seller must provide a disclosure of the condition of the property. This form will be provided to the buyer and should be given to the inspector.



This post originally appeared at http://activerain.com/blogsview/4324480/buying-a-property-step-3-making-the-offer

The Tribute Lakeside Golf & Resort Community-The Colony - A Video Tour

The Tribute Lakeside Golf & Resort Community is a new home community in The Colony Texas.  There are two great golf courses, which are designed to be challenging for golfers.  There are two clubhouse and five communities with homes in different sizes and price points.  New communities are opening soon with lake, park and course views.

I toured the community with Mary Day, Director of Marketing for The Tribute Lakeside Golf & Resort Community.  I spent a few hours with her driving the neighborhoods and getting some great inside information.
This blog has links to the tour videos, pictures of the clubhouses & grounds, the different subdivisions, and links to new and existing homes that are available.  Texas Pride Realty can help you buy any of these great homes.  Call us today to help you. Interested in existing homes be seen on our website...Homes For Sale in The Tribute.  There are a few owners who have lived there a few years and are needing to move, but most of the inventory is new homes.
The subdivisions are:
The Lochs & Gardens - The Gardens are smaller patio homes with 50' x 100' lots.  The Lochs have lots sizes around 60'x 120'.  Both subdivisions are built by GRAND Homes & REFLECTIONS Homes.
Aberdeen - Lots from 50' x 110'.  Built by HIGHLAND Homes & AMERICAN LEGEND Homes
The Glen has two phases with some lots 77'x130' and others 85' x 130'. Priced from the $430's and built by HIGHLAND Homes
Balmerino is a gated subdivision with unique custom home starting in the $500,000 range. Lot sizes are 90' x 160' or 60'x 125' depending on the phase. (Builders:BELCLAIR Homes, SANDERS Custom Homes, M. Christopher & Company, and SOUTHGATE Homes)

ONE
Here's Mary Day talking to me about the Old American Club House.

TWO
Mary explains the visual aesthetic of The Tribute.  Based on Scottish and old European ruins, the stone work and tower are designed to remove the resident from the daily routine.
This video starts THE GARDEN subdivision.  These are built by GRAND HOMES and come on Patio Home Lots.

THREE
In this video we enter THE LOCHS.  This subdivision is also built by GRAND HOMES.  Price point in this neighborhood starts around $320,000.  These lot sizes are larger than THE GARDEN.  There will be lake view properties available.


FOUR
In this video Mary discusses the great new K-8 Grade STEM Academy that's being built in the community.  Students will be taught courses specificed for Arts & Humanities, Scienice & Math, or Public Service.


FIVE
Here we find out about some of the pools and parks which are open to residents of all the communites.


SIX
Now we enter THE GLEN, a neighborhood for the exclusive buyer.  Unique custom homes with larger lots, lake views and parks.  Price points start around $430,000.  Phase II of THE GLEN will have 18 lake view lots available.

 SEVEN
This is just a quick video showing the AMERICAN LEGENDS Homes model in the BALMERINO subdivision.  Balmerino and The Glen are both larger homes on larger lots.

EIGHT
Talking about the 4 1/2 mile public trail system that runs through the community (open to residents and not residents alike).  Also Mary discusses the iron bridge that the developer found and brought to the community.  It used to be a railroad bridge over the Red River and now it's been recycled and used in The Tribute.

NINE
In this video Mary describes the two golf clubs and what's available to members and the public.  Great information. There is the Old American Course and The Tribute Course.

TEN
This is video (sorry it's a bit shaky) inside THE TRIBUTE Clubhouse.

ELEVEN, TWELVE & THIRTEEN
These videos tour the meeting rooms, the hotel spaces and the amazing balcony available at The TRIBUTE Clubhouse.




Here are some still shots of the common areas you might find interesting.

I really want to thank Mary Day for her time and her information.  It really made the community come to life.  I hope you enjoyed watching some or all of these videos and I hope you'll consider letting Texas Pride Realty represent you in the purchase of your new home in The Tribute!  More posts will be embedded soon with details on different builders and plans.  Watch our blog!