Dallas Home Security

Dallas Home SecurityDallas home security is a priority to Texas Associate Broker Debbie Murray of Allie Beth Altman and Associates. She advises her clients to repair all broken windows and locks per inspection reports, and to re-key all locks on the homes they purchase.  Her locksmith company recommends adding an additional dead bolt be installed at the interior garage door, as this is sometimes the first point of entry for intruders.  Smart doorbells and cameras are popular for homeowners due to their ease of monitoring through an app.  And alarm companies provide their clients updated alarm systems, and exterior security signage for prominent yard display.  Green Electronic Solutions states, “Most break-ins don’t happen during the night, and they certainly don’t happen only when nobody’s home –  sometimes, they happen in broad daylight, even with occupants in the house.”

Never leave keys under a door mat or in a flower pot.  Garage doors may be programmed to open with an exterior garage code, and Master Lock locks may be attached in the garage with a secondary key for emergencies.  Check exterior landscape lighting quarterly to replace bulbs and to remove yard debris from the outdoor light fixtures.

Contact Debbie today at 214-558-1004 for vendor referrals to enhance your home’s security.  She specializes in Highland Park, University Park, Preston Hollow, Turtle Creek, Oak Lawn, Uptown, Lakewood, Devonshire, Bluffview, North Dallas, Plano, and Frisco.

What’s Your Dallas Home Worth

What’s Your Dallas Home WorthWhat’s your Dallas home worth?  The answer to that question depends on if you are selling your home says Texas Associate Broker Debbie Murray of Allie Beth Allman and Associates at 214-558-1004.  A home’s value is not an appraised value, the county tax rolls value, or an insurance replacement cost value.  An appraised value is an appraiser’s opinion of value of your home.  The county appraised value is the county’s opinion of the value of your home.  And the insurance replacement cost is your insurance company’s opinion of the cost to replace your home.
What your home is worth, depends on what a buyer is willing to pay for your home.  So how do you make your home worth more? Present your home in its best light when listing it on the real estate market, which means properly priced, repaired, staged, and properly marketed to qualified buyers.  A seller may have beautiful furnishings, but some may need to be removed, neutralized, depersonalized, or rearranged to create flow in the home.  Debbie noticed in one expired listing, that although the luxury home was impeccable quality in a great school district, the bold colored pillows in some of the rooms became the focal point online, and not the rooms themselves.  After all, most sellers want potential buyers to fall in love with their home,  and not their own furnishings that will be removed once sold.
Contact Realtor Debbie Murray today to tour your Dallas luxury home if you are planning to list it on the real estate market.  With her BBA in Marketing and her innovative and customized marketing plan, she is the pro to get your home sold.

Dallas TX Real Estate Transactions Have Fallen

Dallas TX Real Estate Transactions Have Fallen

Dallas TX real estate transactions have fallen from last year per Debbie Murray of Allie Beth Allman & Associates at 214-558-1004.  Local economist, Britt Fair of Fair Texas Title, shared compelling stats with the luxury boutique firm of Allie Beth Allman & Associates.  Debbie says that selling your luxury home now could mean less competition when the spring market kicks in, which is usually after spring break.

Some sellers ask, “are buyers in the market place today?”  The answer is yes.  When the price of gasoline was high, people still bought gas.  Eggs are $5 per dozen and we still buy eggs.  And there are many reasons that people buy and sell homes, and most are not related to the economy.  These people are moving out-of-state, or moving into town, they have gone through a life event such as a death or a divorce, or they are upsizing or downsizing to name a few.

Debbie says that if a home is listed now (late January 2023), that the transaction could theoretically be closed and funded before spring break begins and more homes come on the market, even if the buyer has a conventional loan.  Even faster if the buyer purchases the home with cash.  Some sellers want to take advantage of this lack of inventory, and Debbie is ready to help them get their Highland Park, University Park, Preston Hollow, Plano or Frisco homes SOLD.  Contact her today for a market analysis, and to learn about her customized marketing plan for your luxury home.

 

Dallas Realtor And New Construction Advisor

Dallas Realtor And New Construction Advisor

Dallas Realtor And New Construction Advisor Debbie Murray at Allie Beth Allman & Associates recommends using a Realtor when purchasing new construction.  Builders have their own sales contracts written by their own attorneys.  Their contracts are not promulgated by the Texas Real Estate Commission, which are designed to not favor either the buyer or the seller.  Debbie has years of experience working with local homebuilders, representatives, and builder contracts.  “Having representation when negotiating upgrades, and desired floor plans and features is key.  Understanding the construction of foundations is critical in North Texas”, says Debbie.  She remembers selling a builder home twenty years ago when the garage door opener was not included in the list price of the home.  Some builder contracts specify that the home does not have to appraise.  And many  builders consider the buyer walk-through the buyer’s opportunity to inspect the home.  A true home inspection is conducted by a Texas Real Estate Commission licensed inspector, and not a builder representative and a buyer.  Lastly, home builder warranties vary by builders.  Understanding your future structural and mechanical warranties is crucial when purchasing a new construction home.

Hire Debbie to represent you when building or purchasing new construction in the Highland Park, University Park, Preston Hollow, and surrounding north Dallas areas.  Contact her today at 214-558-1004.

Dallas TX Global Referral Realtor

Dallas TX Global Referral Realtor

Dallas TX Global Referral Realtor Debbie Murray of Allie Beth Allman & Associates at 214-558-1004 is a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.  The Leading RE Network is the largest network of independent residential real estate brokers in the world, and it is a very exclusive group of brokers.  This network operates in 70 countries worldwide, and there are over 500 companies in the network.  Only 20% of the brokers who apply to Leading RE are accepted into the network.   Luxury  Portfolio is the luxury division of Leading RE which represents some of the finest properties in the world.

Leading RE network of brokers and Realtors have referral connections across the globe.  If you are planning to purchase a home in Italy, France, or anywhere out of the country, Debbie can help you find a Leading RE professional to assist you in that country.  “A warm referral is always desirable since a home purchase is usually an important investment, even if it is a second home.  Many countries have special tax laws regarding foreigners purchasing real estate in the country, therefore, a knowledgeable Realtor in that country can save you time, money, and heartache.  Having this global network resource is invaluable in our real estate business”, says Debbie.

Debbie has been practicing residential real estate for 23 years in the Dallas area.  Her clientele include international clients, professional athletes, professionals, and more.  She has sold luxury homes, condos, and townhomes from downtown Dallas north to Prosper, TX.  If you need an out of Dallas, out of state, or out of the US residential real estate referral, contact Debbie today at 214-558-1004.

Dallas Realtor And Expired Listing Specialist

Dallas Realtor And Expired Listing Specialist
Dallas Realtor And Expired Listing Specialist Debbie Murray at Allie Beth Allman & Associates at 214-558-1004 says that sometimes a fresh set of eyes can get your home sold.  “Creative marketing ideas think outside the box from a traditional marketing approach, and the marketing must make sense”, says Debbie.  Once she toured a home with an expired listing that needed thousands of dollars in upgrades, repairs, and home staging.  The cancelled listing had been marketed as “this is your perfect home”.  “If the condition of the home cannot be touted, then other features must be promoted such as the creek lot, versatile floor plan, or exclusive neighborhood near award-winning schools to attract potential home buyers. No home is perfect, and our jobs as listing agents is to minimize the negatives, and accentuate the positives while being honest in our marketing.  There is much more to listing a home than submitting a listing into the local MLS system”, says Debbie.
Debbie is a Texas Associate Broker with 23 years residential real estate experience in the Dallas area. She has a marketing degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and uses it daily in her career as a Dallas luxury real estate agent.  Highland Park, University Park, Preston Hollow, Oaklawn, Turtle Creek, Devonshire, Bluffview, Uptown, Downtown, Lakewood, Plano and Frisco or some of her specialty areas.  Contact her today to get your expired or canceled listing SOLD, or to prepare your home for the  upcoming spring market.  Debbie also represents luxury home buyers, and specializes in properties such as luxury condos, townhomes, single family homes, and tear down lots.

Dallas Realtor Debbie Murray Recommends Staging Your Home

Dallas Realtor Debbie Murray recommends staging your home prior to listing it on the real estate market. Statistics show that “88% of staged houses sell at or above list price, and SELL on average  in 10.3 days versus 84.6 for non-staged houses” ( per StagedHomes.com).  

Home staging includes many activities such as yard cleanup and upgraded landscaping, home repairs inside and out, neutralizing color, decluttering, de-personalizing belongings, and furniture placement.  “I have seen first hand home staging make a dramatic difference prior to listing”, says Debbie.  “Once I sold an expired listing that had not been staged, and I noticed that the den furniture was misplaced in the original listing.  It disrupted the flow into the master bedroom, and the den area furniture placement did not make sense.  We moved the furniture around and created the flow in the space, and the home sold.  Another time I recommended a luxury high rise condo owner stage their condo by renting furniture.  The seller did, and the condo sold in four months, and this particular condo unit was competing with new construction condo units in the building”. 

Debbie is an Accredited Staging Professional, and she has connections with home staging professionals who are ready to serve you.   Staging takes time as it may involve painting, costly repairs, and moving furnishings into your home.  Now is a great time to get your home ready for the spring real estate market so that professional photos may be taken, and your home is first on the market.  If you don’t plan to sell your home, Debbie has resources for award-winning interior decorators as well.

Contact Debbie today at 214-558-1004 for more information on getting your Dallas luxury home sold.  These before and after photos depict the striking difference that home staging made in this non-updated Preston Hollow home which sold for a great price.

Dallas Realtor Debbie Murray Recommends Staging Your Home

After Home Staging

Dallas Realtor Debbie Murray Recommends New Surveys

Dallas Realtor Debbie Murray Recommends New Surveys
Dallas Realtor Debbie Murray recommends new surveys when you buying a new home.
Years ago Debbie’s home buyers purchased a home on acreage.  At her recommendation they purchased a new survey, and when they received it, to their surprise, and everyone’s surprise, the survey boundary lines did not match the original survey provided by the sellers to the home buyers. The next-door neighbors fence line was encroaching 5 feet onto the property that her buyers were purchasing.  It turns out that many sellers who had sold their homes on the street had experienced the same issue, as the homes had been miss-surveyed when they were built.  A real estate attorney prepared a boundary agreement for the buyers, sellers, and the homeowner’s next door that would pass on to future buyers of the two properties that basically said that the neighbors could not build any other structure (there was already a putting green and play fort) on this 5 feet of property.  It also said that if the two structures were ever removed, that the fence line would be moved to the proper boundary line.
That same real estate attorney told Debbie a true story.  A home buyer had purchased an expensive home that was located on a desirable creek lot in Dallas. The buyer did not purchase a new survey, and after closing demolished the current structure in order to build a new one. When the buyer went to the city of Dallas to get permits for building, they were denied a permit because the home was now in a floodplain. The home that had been torn down was a grandfathered home in the floodplain. That was a very expensive mistake to not get a new survey.  Remember that flood plains may change through the years and affect surveys.
Lastly, regarding surveys. They must be legible in order to be used in a real estate transaction.  Today it is common place for surveyors to put a copyright on their survey, so that their survey is not reused without compensation to the surveying company.
Contact Texas associate broker Debbie Murray at 214-558-1004 to purchase your next luxury home, or to sell one.  She specializes in Highland Park, University Park, Preston Hollow, Uptown, Turtle Creek, Oak Lawn, Lakewood, and the areas surrounding the north Dallas tollway.

Happy New Year

Happy New YearHappy New Year from Texas Associate Broker Debbie Murray at Allie Beth Allman & Associates.  Wishing you a healthy and prosperous 2023!

35 Best Dallas Real Estate Blogs And Websites

 

35 Best Dallas Real Estate Blogs and Websites35 Best Dallas Real Estate Blogs And Websites.  Debbie Murray thanks FeedSpot for ranking in the top 10!  Contact her at 214/558-1004.

Debbie Murray is a Texas Associate Broker representing home buyers and sellers in Highland Park, University Park, Preston Hollow, and the surrounding area.