Real Estate Information

Good Monday morning to you!

Texas Ranch Roundup

One of the finest traditions our community has is the Texas Ranch Roundup. This 2 day event allows us all to revisit the historical ranching heritage of Texas and the true working cowboy. This event will be August 20-21 @ MPEC. I have 2 tickets that I'm going to give away. All you have to do is email me Ashton@BishopRealtors.com with Ranch Roundup in the subject line and attach your Name, Number and Address. Good luck! For ticket information call the K.Y.C. box office at (940)716-5555 or www.wfmpec.com.

AG Referral Program - www.DinnerIsOnAshton.com

By referring your friends to myself or the Bishop Realtor Group, you could receive dinner for 4 at Salt and Pepper, Pasquals, or the restaurant of your choice.  Do you have friends, family or co-workers who may be interested in selling their home or even buying a new home in the next 6 months? Please send us the contact information of referrals that may be looking to buy or sell in the near future. And go to www.DinnerIsOnAshton.com for more information!

Foreclosure Answers

Today, nearly 1 out of every 6 homeowners in America is behind on mortgage payments. These are tough and frustrating times. Now more than ever, it's important to identify your options. Foreclosure can be avoided, your credit can be saved, and your financial future can be salvaged. Through my experience handling distressed properties, I've found that homeowners today have more questions than answers about their circumstances. I have created this site, www.WichitaFallsShortSale.com,  to help you understand the possible solutions to foreclosure, as well as provide a detailed explanation of short sales, which may be the best course of action for some homeowners.

If there is anything else I can do for you or someone you may know this week, please let me know!

Make it a great week!

"Find what you do well and perfect it." David L. Cook

Good Monday morning to you!

A summer tradition has begun in Wichita Falls and its called LIVE @ THE LAKE. Every Thursday evening from 6:00 - 7:30, a local artist will perform at the Museum and Art Center by Sikes Lake. This week it will be myself and my good friend Kevin Rhine taking the stage. Beverages are provided by Falls Distributing and pizza is provided by The SPOT. If you're free this Thursday evening, please come by and enjoy a great time...oh, and don't forget a lawn chair!

Now back to Real Estate.....

You may have seen my blog, "I'm a Happy Buyer" last week. If not, take a look @ www.ImAHappyBuyer.com. This is a great visual of just how terrific these current interest rates are.

Also, www.LuxuryHomesWF.com has now launched. This is a FREE service to help area home buyers view the finest homes Wichita Falls has to offer, the minute they hit the market. Your first email will list all homes currently for sale that meet your search criteria. Then each morning you will be emailed a list of all of the new homes for sale and price changes since your previous search. No more having to rely on manual searches. I look forward to unlocking the door to spectacular real estate on your behalf.

And remember our other sites for fast answers:

www.TheFallsHomeFinder.com - every home for sale in our area.

www.TexomaHomeValue.com - thinking of selling?

Make it a great week!

"Focused intensity over time multiplied by God creates unstoppable momentum." Dave Ramsey

www.LuxuryHomesWF.com

Fast. Easy. Automatic. FREE!

LuxuryHomesWF.com is a FREE service from Ashton Gustafson to help area home buyers view the finest homes Wichita Falls has to offer, the minute they hit the market. Your first email will list all homes currently for sale that meet your search criteria. Then each morning you will be emailed a list of all of the new homes for sale and price changes since your previous search. No more having to rely on manual searches. Fill out the form  and start your auto-email home search today! It's just that easy!

We look forward to unlocking the door to spectacular real estate on your behalf.

Good Monday morning to you!

I wrote a blog this week that can be read at www.ImAHappyBuyer.com. This shows just how significant the savings can be with these interest rates we are seeing.

3.875% 15 year fixed and 4.25% 30 year fixed were available this past week with our local lenders! That should make all of us interested, Happy Buyers!! See www.TheFallsHomeFinder.com and see where you could invest today.

The Prairie

I also have the privilege to market a new Green-Sustainable residential development, called The Prairie. 

The Prairie is a 200-acre development in Archer County near Wichita Falls, Texas, whose goal is to maintain and enhance the beauty and ecological processes of the restored mixed prairie native to this region of the United States. The large lot community embraces green building concepts and promotes the conservation of energy, land, water, and resources thorough appropriate site and building design, construction, and maintenance. The principles that guide The Prairie’s development includes minimizing land disturbances, protecting natural resources, optimizing solar orientation, using storm water runoff on-site, creating neighborhood connectivity, developing passive recreation areas, and managing the restored prairie.

The community is a comprehensive neighborhood of streetscapes, quality built residences, and related site improvements that reflect an elegant but casual outdoor lifestyle. The development, as a whole, is designed to respect The Prairie landscape. In addition, each building and lot stands on its own design merit and contributes to the desired neighborhood character. Thus, the compatibility, long-term quality, and appreciation of value of the original investments and the overall community are optimized. Each proposed new home addition or improvement, including site improvements and landscaping, is designed and reviewed for consistency and/or compatibility with the appropriate character outlined in the Sustainable Guidelines. See www.ThePrairieWF.com for more information.

If I can answer any questions or be of service this week, please let me know.

Make it a great week!

PS - I love this week's quote.

"Your positive energy and vision must be greater than anyone's and everyone's negativity. Your certainty must be greater than everyone's doubt." Quote from The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon

Welcome to the Prairie

The Prairie is a residential green development located  just 10 minutes from Wichita Falls, Texas off of FM 1954 on Decker Road. It consists of 200+ acres with 28 available home sites made up of five to seven acres each.

The Prairie is the first green development in Northwest Texas! It has walking trails, native plants & grasses, and wild flowers, with an abundance of wildlife such as turkey, deer, water fowl, song birds and much more. Please feel free to contact us for pricing, availability, and lot descriptions. Or you may view our Sustainable Guidlines for more information.

Ashton Gustafson, Owner at The Bishop Realtor Group, is proud to be the listing agent for The Prairie.

Vision

Originally,three fourths of the state of Texas was covered by prairie and savanna. The tallgrass prairies covered 20 million acres. Today these tallgrass prairies have been reduced to less than one percent of those original 20 million acres.

The tallgrass prairie is a proud part of our heritage. In an effort to preserve this beautiful, vanishing ecological system, Mr. Hirschi made a commitment to preserve and restore the Decker Road property to its natural prairie character.

The Prairie settlers of the past had many "common sense" practices in their architectural design and their use of energy. Rainwater collection, cisterns for water storage, solar orientation for heat protection and breezes, along with generous overhangs, and strategically placed window openings all worked to provide comfort and improved livability. Many of these ideas are again in vogue and known as "green or sustainable" practices. Keeping with these ideas and the incorporation of new technologies, we have developed the basis for The Prairie's Sustainable Guidelines.

Master Plan

The Prairie is a 200-acre development in Archer County near Wichita Falls, Texas, whose goal is to maintain and enhance the beauty and ecological processes of the restored mixed prairie native to this region of the United States. The large lot community embraces green building concepts and promotes the conservation of energy, land, water, and resources thorough appropriate site and building design, construction, and maintenance. The principles that guide The Prairie's development includes minimizing land disturbances, protecting natural resources, optimizing solar orientation, using storm water runoff on-site, creating neighborhood connectivity, developing passive recreation areas, and managing the restored prairie.

The community is a comprehensive neighborhood of streetscapes, quality built residences, and related site improvements that reflect an elegant but casual outdoor lifestyle. The development, as a whole, is designed to respect The Prairie landscape. In addition, each building and lot stands on its own design merit and contributes to the desired neighborhood character. Thus, the compatibility, long-term quality, and appreciation of value of the original investments and the overall community are optimized. Each proposed new home addition or improvement, including site improvements and landscaping, is designed and reviewed for consistency and/or compatibility with the appropriate character outlined in these Sustainable Guidelines.

Location

The Prairie is located just 10 minutes from Wichita Falls, Texas off of FM 1954 on Decker Road.

For more information on this beautiful developement, contact Ashton Gustafson @ 940.691.7355 or Ashton@ThePrairieWF.com.

Good Monday Morning to you!

Did you know that 15 year rates hit below 4% last week? That is the lowest the market has EVER seen. When you stop and consider how inexpensive mortgages have become, it comes as no surprise to see more investors entering the rental market, just to take advantage of this incredible financing that's available for a 30 year loan.

We encourage our clients to take advantage of these rates while they're here, because they won't be around for long.

Right now, they can save A LOT! For instance, let’s say that a buyer takes out a $200,000 home loan at a rate of 4.75 percent. Their monthly repayment will be about $1,042 a month for the principle and interest, which is more than $200 less per month than borrowers are paying on a 6.5 percent loan taken out just a few years ago. Over the course of the mortgage term, today’s home buyer will save $80,000! That's 8 times more than the home buyers tax credit.

If we can help you today, please give us a call. And remember our site for home buyers @ www.TheFallsHomeFinder.com.

And don't forget, www.AshtonIsMyHOMEboy.com - the source for Wichita Falls Real Estate news and updates.

Make a difference.

Looking for a new home in Wichita Falls?

See www.TheFallsHomeFinder.com.

Fast. Easy. Automatic. FREE!

www.TheFallsHomeFinder.com is a FREE service to help area home buyers find their dream home. Your first email will list all homes currently for sale that meet your search criteria. Then each morning you will be emailed a list of all of the new homes for sale and price changes since your previous search. No more having to rely on manual searches. Fill out the form below and start your auto-email home search today! It's just that easy!

Remember to use the site to select homes into your favorites account too!

If we can serve you in any other way, please let us know.

Good Monday morning to you!

Like I said last week, we are looking to add homes with pools to our inventory. If you or anyone you may know is looking to sell their home this summer (pool or no pool) please let us know. With 30 year fixed rate mortgages under 5%, this summer should be a great market!

I have also said that this is the best inventory of homes we've ever had-and the truth endures. See http://www.texomahomesource.com/Properties for every home we have available at this time.

And remember our sites for fast answers:

www.TheFallsHomeFinder.com - Info on any home for sale.

www.TexomaHomeValue.com - FREE Market Analysis on your home.

www.WichitaFallsShortSale.com - Mortgage Problems?

If we can do anything else to serve you or anyone you know this week, please let me know.

"He who sweats in peace, does not bleed in war." Doc Rivers

Good Monday morning to you!

The heat has arrived. We broke the 100 degree mark last week, and it looks like its here to stay. If you or someone you know is looking to sell their home that has a pool, please let me know . We have had quite a few people looking for homes with pools, and the market inventory is quite low. See www.TexomaHomeValue.com where I can give you an idea of what your home may bring at this time.

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Our current inventory is one of the best I've ever seen.

See http://www.texomahomesource.com/Properties for everything we have on the market.

Also, see www.TheFallsHomeFinder.com to view everything the market has available.

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Make it a great week, and please let me know if we can serve you or anyone you may know.

"Can anything be so elegant as to have few wants, and to serve them one's self?"  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Myth Buster:

Myth: Seller Financing is no longer allowed in Texas

Fact: Seller financing is still allowed in virtually all real estate transactions.

However, as of May 31, 2010, if a seller is financing a one-to-four-family residential transaction other than his primary homestead or a sale to a family member, he must be licensed as a residential mortgage loan originator (RMLO). In other words, transactions involving investment property, second homes, and vacation homes require licensure as a RMLO.

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Recent statistics released from the Wichita Falls Multiple Listing System revealed that the number of homes closed and the sales volume for 2010 nearly mirrors the numbers from 2009 for the month of January.  The Wichita Falls real estate market remains steady after an approximate 9% decline in 2009 from 2008.  A positive note for January is that the number of placed into the market declined by 30 from January 2009.  It was just announced this week bt the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce and Industry that a new call center was coming into Wichita Falls creating a possible 150 jobs which could have apositive impact on the real estate market.