Texas cities occupied 4 of the top 10 named by a recent Forbes study!

#1. Houston

#2. Austin

#5. San Antonio

#6. Dallas

Houston, we don't have a housing problem.

The city's $152,500 median home sale price is up 6.6% from 2005. It boasts a low vacancy rate and an oil-rich economy. Throw in a bubbling entrepreneurial tech scene, and you've got four factors that put Houston on the top of our list of best places to buy a home.

San Francisco, Charlotte, N.C., Jacksonville, Fla., and St. Louis, Mo., are other areas buyers can feel safe investing in.

In Depth: Best Cities To Buy A Home

We examined the country's 40 largest metropolitan areas and looked at where home prices have appreciated over the last two years. We also measured tightening vacancy rates. These metrics indicate places where buyers are investing in homes in order to live, not just make a quick buck, and where the housing market is relatively solid. We culled our vacancy and home price information from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Association of Realtors.

The average vacancy rate across the major metro areas was 2.88%, and the average percent appreciation was just .07% over the last two years.

Lots To Like In The Lone-Star State

Texas dominated our lineup of mortgage-worthy areas. Thanks to a business-friendly tax environment, many large corporations call the Lone Star State home, which creates jobs and tax revenue.

The University of Texas campus provides young blood and research-related jobs to No. 2 city Austin. This state capitol is a hip area on the rise. The vacancy rate has fallen by 37.5% in the last 24 months to just 1.5%, despite a lot of building in recent years. And buying isn't much more expensive than renting. An average mortgage payment is $1,022.40, and average rent hits $767.

San Antonio, No. 5, and Dallas, No. 6, made the list thanks to affordable housing, which continues to appreciate. In both cities, the median home price hovers around $150,000, and a monthly mortgage payment of around $800 is pretty close to what one pays in rent. If you can pony up the down payment, these are great areas to live.

You can review the entire Forbes article by clicking here. 

Call me today and let’s get started finding your Texas home!
Reechia Powell
972-979-9978

Plano Centre
2000 East Spring Creek Parkway

July 31st - August 2nd

The Friends of the Plano Public Library's 25th ANNUAL BOOK SALE features over 75,000 new and gently used books offering hardbacks, DVDs and CDs for $2. The paperback books will sell for $1; with video cassettes, audio cassettes and records selling 2 for $1. NO SALES TAX! All proceeds go to the Plano Public Library System to fund collections, special projects and programs.

Thursday First Nighter Sale 6pm - 10pm $5/person; $10/family
Friday Free admission 9am - 9pm
Saturday Free admission 9am - 1pm

For more information call 972-208-8002 or visit www.planolibrary.org.

Forbes Magazine and web site recently released a report that says Collin County is ranked as the 14th best place to live in the country! Their report is based on housing price, quality of education, property taxes and other factors. Collin County was the only Texas county to make the top 20 list! (Hamilton County, Indiana came in first).

Those of us that live in Collin County are not surprised!

Forbes.com had these comments about Collin County:

• Home to the burgeoning northern suburbs of Dallas, Collin County is a great value play for families.
• An affordable median house price of $191,000 means access to a school system that boasts a 1,103 average SAT score and a graduation rate of 93 percent.

The only bad news:

• "A sub-par crime rate of 34.7 index crimes per 1,000 people," the article said. "That's four times higher than Hunterdon County, N.J., the safest county on our list.

We have been saying for months that our housing market is stable and a great value for all buyers, if you are a first time buyer, a move up buyer, or an investor there are opportunities for you! 

Housing is relatively inexpensive – and very diverse. You can buy a starter home in Anna for $100,000 or less, a Victorian mansion in McKinney or a sprawling new home in a gated community in West Plano.
The school systems generally have high ratings, and property taxes are relatively low.

We will continue to say “It’s a GREAT time to be a buyer in Collin County!”

Call Reechia and let her help you find your next Collin County home.
972-979-9978

July 23rd, 2008
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Williams Recreation Center
1712 Avenue P

Our pets and their behavior is a reflection of our own manors. Join Jennifer Mellnick of the Plano Animal Shelter as she discusses different topics concerning pet etiquette while at your local dog or city park, when visitors come to your home, and while shopping at the local pet store with your four legged friends. This course is designed for ages 6 years and up.

FREE
To learn more about this class or to register visit www.planoparks.org and click LEISURE ONLINE and signup for course #88976. Call the Parks and Recreation office at 972-941-7250 to get more information.

By completing a simple four-step program, residents can earn up to $200 for a more beautiful and a more efficient landscape.

As part of the Live Green in Plano initiative, the City of Plano is offering a YardWise Landscape Beautification Rebate to the first 250 participants. The rebate rewards residents who improve their home’s landscaping while reducing water consumption. The four steps are easy and include the following: attend all four YardWise education classes, complete and submit a rebate application, submit photos of the landscape before and after the YardWise conversion; and, submit copies of receipts for plant materials used in the landscaping process.

YardWise is a simple four-class series created to help people maintain a yard with less cost, work, waste and water. A new series of YardWise classes begins September 4 and costs $15, if all classes are taken as a series. For a class schedule or to register online, simply visit www.parks.planotx.org or call (972) 769-4234.

The YardWise Landscape Beautification Rebate application is available at www.livegreeninplano.com For more information about the program, contact Erin Hoffer, Environmental Education Coordinator, City of Plano, (972) 769-4228 or erinhof@plano.gov. You can also visit www.plano.gov.

It's that time of year...Battle of the Badges Blood Drive Competition between Plano Police and Plano Fire is back! Giving blood saves lives. All donors will receive a commemorative T-shirt, a goody bag and get the chance to register to win a trip for two to the San Gabriel House Bed and Breakfast in Georgetown, Texas (compliments of Take Time To Travel). Donate from Thursday, July 10 - Sunday, July 13.

PLUS...cast your ballot for Police or Fire at any of the blood drive locations. The badge with the most votes wins the coveted Battle of the Badges Blood Drive Trophy! To set an appointment for City Hall and Police sites call Pam Haines at 972-941-2538. To set an appointment to donate at the Fire Department site call Cynthia Morgan at 972-941-7164. Visit Carter BloodCare at www.carterbloodcare.org or call 1-800-DONATE-4 for more details.

Saturday, July 12 Donation Sites:

Poor Richards Cafe parking lot Fire Station #8
2442 K Avenue 4555 Hedgcoxe
7:00 am - 2:00 pm 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Wal-Mart Collin Creek Mall
8801 Ohio Drive (at McDermott) 811 North Central Expressway
10:00 am - 4:00 pm 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm

TNT Personal Fitness
2100 North Dallas Parkway
11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Fire Station #8
4555 Hedgcoxe
9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Collin Creek Mall
811 North Central Expressway
12:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Due to heightened standards in the mortgage industry, no-down payment loans are hard to attain, and down payments have once again became the preference for lenders. Here is some advice for your buyers when they are planning on a down payment for a home.

(Marcie Geffner, July 3, 2008, Bankrate.com)

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