Hes A Peptospoonful, a popular Cutting Horse stallion owned by David and Stacie McDavid died last week on their Weatherford, Texas ranch.  Apparently his death was unexpected.  According to Mr. McDavid he was in perfect health and was ready for the upcoming breeding season.

Hes A Peptospoonful, known to cutting horse fans as “Spoonful” was purchased by the McDavids in 2001 after NCHA Futurity in Fort Worth where he won the Semi-Finals that year.  Stacie rode him to win the Non-Pro at the Suncoast Cutting in Las Vegas.

He was loved by people and he loved people and has sired several other champions including the NCHA Futurity Champion Spoons Lil Buckaroo.

He was a great Stallion and will be missed.

Happy Trails,

Donnie

The New Loan Settlement Program

Underwater home owners will have to wait months to know whether they qualify for part of the $26 billion mortgage settlement from the Federal Government.
With many government agencies involved including the Justice Dept.there will be lots of red tape. Here is a website that should answer basic questions nationalmortgagesettlement.com 

Anyone looking for a quick fix will be very disappointed.  It may as long as 3 years to even find out if you qualify.

Who is potentially eligible?  The first requirement is your current loan must be with one of the following banks;  Ally, B Of A, Citibank, Chase or Wells Fargo.  It will take 6 to 9 months to determine which borrowers will potentially find relief.  Which in my opinion after dealing with many of these banks over the last 2 years in short sales and foreclosures the time frame will be more like 12 to 18 months.

Homeowners who will be helped by the settlement are generally those whose homes are underwater and those who are in imminent risk of default.  Now I’m no math wiz but the time frame doesn’t seem to workout for people who are already behind and facing foreclosure.  To me this mostly a political move and it will create  new problems and will benefit very few if any at all.  This is another failed policy to reward those who don’t make their home payments.

I not a fan of government intervention into the housing market mostly all their meddling is prolonging the pain and suffering of people.  What do you all think?

Happy Trails,

Donnie

1. Hanging out when buyers are looking at your home: Buyers stalk properties online and off, checking obsessively for price reductions and the like. But buyer-side home stalking is unobtrusive to sellers. On the other hand, buyers can feel personally stalked and uncomfortable in their ability to fully explore or verbally express their impressions of a home when, a seller, hang out inside your home while it’s being shown. It’s creepy.

As soon as a buyer sees you in the house, it instantly becomes much more difficult for them to”
(a) envision themselves living there (it’s your house, after all),
(b) be comfortable opening up drawers, closet doors, etc., and
(c) express their thoughts about how this house might be exactly what they’re looking for, if they can knock out that wall and get rid of those cukoo murals you so lovingly painted in your children’s rooms.
(d) Makes it difficult for the buyers agent to do their job as well.

Sellers: If you want to sell your home, it’s best to not be around when buyers are looking. Give them some breathing space and a chance to truly walk around and consider what they like and/or dislike about your home without lurking and looming (and, let’s be real – eavesdropping) nearby.

2. Showing a messy house: Life gets hectic, and it’s easy for things like laundry, dishes and other house cleaning tasks to fall by the wayside. It’s also difficult to keep the home in which you and your 4 kids, 3 gerbils and 2 Labrador Retrievers live perfectly spotless for months at a time, while you’re waiting for an offer. But when you decide that you’re going to sell your home, it’s imperative that you make a pact and a plan with yourself and your family that the place will be in tip-top shape when buyers come knocking.

Remember: your home is competing with dozens of others, as well as with buyer’s HGTV-infused visions of what their next home should look like, so first impressions really count.

Sellers: Stuffing the closet is not the answer. (Buyers will be opening that closet door, after all.) Pack up your personals like you were moving (best case: you are), and put all but the essentials in storage, if needed. Get the carpets cleaned, do the dishes, make the beds, mow the lawn, dust, sweep and mop. Ask your agent to give you a gut check on whether your idea of clean is clean enough (better yet – ask them for the number of a house cleaner who you can engage to get the job done to showable standards).

This might all seem obvious, but agents and buyers alike are constantly amazed at the condition of some of the Fort Homes homes I’ve walked into. Take my word for it; I’ll spare you the ‘ewww’-inducing stories.

3. Overpricing your home: Buyers already have lots to do before making the largest purchase of their lives. They have to wrangle their finances into order, jump hoops to qualify for a loan, collect the cash for down payment and closing costs, and invest sometimes hundreds of hours into market research and house hunting. With all of this already on their plates, the prospect of trying to negotiate down a crazily high asking price is just too much work (and too outside their comfort zones) for most buyers to deal with. The average buyer won’t even bother looking at your home if the asking price is clearly high and off base compared with other similar, nearby homes for sale; they’d rather sit tight and wait .

Sellers: Price to sell from the beginning. Work with your agent to determine a price that is supported by the data on how much nearby homes have recently sold for. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and anguish and get a lot more legitimate bites from serious, qualified buyers.

In todays market to sell a home in Fort Worth you must present your home in a way that compels an offer from a home buyer…condition, price, and location.

Newmark started an email list back in 1995 to help friends in the San Francisco Bay Area keep track of local events. The list grew to a website that included other categories of information, and by 2000 craigslist started expanding to other areas. Today, the site features listings in more than 50 countries and is a resource for people looking for everything from real estate to child-care services.

What most people don’t realize is that, while craigslist is run by CEO Jim Buckmaster, Craig continues to work as a customer service representative for the site. He also recently launched an organization called craigconnects to help support nonprofit groups he believes in.

I use Craig’s List to promote our listings and it has become a very good platform for marketing properties.  I thought this was an interesting interview and wanted to share it with you.

The following is a Q-and-A with Craig Newmark, founder of Craig’s List:

Q: Are you surprised at how successful craigslist has been?

A: It’s a perpetual surprise, all very surreal. Sometimes I reflect on that for a moment, then it’s back to work.

Q: What do you enjoy about interacting directly with craigslist customers?

A: The sense that we’ve provided a platform where tens of millions of people have helped each other out. For example, the barter category has helped people put food on their table. A few minutes ago, I just heard from a married couple who found each other on craigslist. I hear lots of stuff like that.

Q: What advice would you offer to an entrepreneur about how to get customer service right? What have you learned about making customers happy?

A: Treat people like you want to be treated. Consider the needs of the vast numbers of your customers, realizing that individuals might insist on privileges, and that they might complain otherwise.

Q: Craigslist has obviously been very successful, but what is one mistake that you made when you were starting the company?

I’ve refused to listen to people with good advice, like lawyers, and also failed to heed my instincts.

Q: When you think about craigslist, and your role in it, what are you most proud of?

We’ve helped people with their everyday needs, allowing them to keep the cash they’d otherwise spend on less effective ads. That amounts to a huge “like kind” contribution to the American people.

Q: If you were starting craigslist for the first time today, what would you do differently?

I probably would use a different software platform, and build in anti-spam efforts in the very first version.

Q: In March 2011 you launched your nonprofit, craigconnects, to help connect and protect organizations that are doing good. What do you hope craigconnects will accomplish that you weren’t already doing on your own?

In the short term, craigconnects organizes the causes and organizations I believe in. In the long term, I hope to help get everyone on the planet connected to support what they feel is the common good. The idea is to help give the powerless a voice and some shared control in their own future.

Q: What’s one thing most people don’t know about you that you’d like them to know?

I actually exist. Well, maybe it’s better if they’re not sure.

Happy Trails,

Donnie

This strategy could backfire if you are priced low and receive only one offer for the asking price or less. It’s difficult to negotiate buyers up on price when they’re not in competition with another buyer.

Some Fort Worth Homes in desirable areas, a strategy of pricing on the low side could generate enough action to get your home sold at or over the list price. But you shouldn’t price lower than a price you’d be willing to accept if you receive only one offer.

FORT WORTH TEXAS HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Sellers should have a good understanding of the pricing dynamics currently operating in their neighborhood before they select a list price for their Fort Worth home. What are the average days on market? Are certain locations or price ranges more active than others? How does your home compare to those that sold recently? Pricing right for the market is critical to selling in today’s market.

Like sellers, buyers should become price experts on the areas where they would like to buy. The Internet makes this chore a lot easier. But you’ll get a better feel for valuation if you see homes that would satisfy your housing needs in person.  Reata Realty provides it’s customers with IDX websites that are directly linked to the local MLS.  This is more current information than from third party public sites.

Don’t focus on list prices. Sellers often make the mistake of listing for more than their neighbor’s second-rate home. However, if the neighbor’s home is priced too high, this isn’t a good benchmark. Also, consider that the reasons you think your home is better may not be in sync with the way a Fort Worth buyer may view your home.

It’s difficult for buyers and sellers to be objective about buying and selling homes. Most sellers have strong attachments to their home and have a hard time divorcing themselves from it emotionally. This can cause them to reject a good offer and later regret the decision.

Buyers can be so objective that they find it impossible to buy a house. The perfect house does not exist. Neither does the perfect deal. Compromises need to be made, but with full understanding of the pros and cons. In other words, you should make rational decisions about the price you pay and what you’re willing to live with.

Knowledge of local pricing is essential for buyers in market niches that are hot compared to the rest of the market. Be sure to find out the sale price of homes that you’ve seen and liked or bid on and lost.

THE CLOSING: This way you’ll be in a better position to have a shot at winning in competition the next time.

Reata Realty provides our clients with  relevant information so every buyer or seller can make the best decision for themselves.

Give Us a call today!

Donnie

By  Claire Easley is a senior editor at Builder magazine. 

U.S. Trends

1. Green building growth to rebound

LEED project growth was slow in 2011, only gaining 3 percent for the year. But while LEED certification on new projects may take longer to gain much steam, the program’s retrofitting arm, LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EBOM), is quickly gaining traction.

EBOM project registrations were up 18 percent last year, and the EBOM project area exceeded the cumulative LEED-NC (New Construction) area for the first time, with 675 million square feet of EBOM vs. 649 million square feet of NC.

“That trend will continue this year,” Yudelson says, as more property owners realize that retrofitting to LEED standards is fairly painless when starting with a building that is already Energy Star-rated.

2. Federal momentum has slowed

The Department of Defense recently stipulated that projects can’t spend any extra money on energy program certification, and while “that’s not necessarily a killer,” Yudelson says, “it is an indication that there is some backlash for spending extra money on anything.”

Getting federal funding for green projects will be harder going forward, he says, especially given the recent Solandra scandal and the federal budget crunch. But while state and local governments aren’t faring much better, that’s where the action will be, he says, as existing buildings will need to be upgraded, projects in the pipeline will move forward, and schools — which are funded by bonds — will need to be built.

3. LEED-EBOM will gain momentum

“We’re going to see this move to other sectors,” he says, particularly among hotels with strong convention and meeting businesses who want to be able to market their eco-friendliness. Grocery stores, hospitals and retail centers are moving in the same direction, with features such as solar panels on top of Wal-Marts or department stores.

“Last month, President Obama and former President Clinton announced theBetter Buildings Initiative. It’s only $4 billion, so it’s not huge. But still, this is stuff that moves markets. When you have two presidents pushing something, it does get people’s attention. More and more building owners are realizing that they don’t want to be late to the party.”

4. Water issues grow in importance

“Even the water-wet areas have water problems brought on by infrastructure problems and population growth,” Yudelson says. “Florida doesn’t have a place for a reservoir in the entire state, so even if you have a slight drought, you have big problems.”

He predicts rainwater capture systems, as well as gray water and black water on-site treatment capabilities, will become more pervasive. “Instead of toilet to tap, we’re going toilet to toilet.”

5. Zero-net-energy to gain traction

“Zero-net-energy needs to be in your future,” Yudelson says, adding that it works best on two- to four-story buildings that use only between 30,000 and 35,000 British thermal units per square foot per year.

“If you do a good job with integrated design, you can reach that (thermal units) goal,” he says, adding that getting to net-zero should add only between 3 percent and 5 percent to building costs.

Global Trends

6. Green building movement will continue to grow

There are now more than 90 national Green Building Councils throughout the world, and LEED projects have been registered in 161 countries, Yudelson says. Last year, 44 percent of total LEED registrations were outside the U.S.

“This is a movement that you have to pay attention to,” he says, adding that the “Big Three” energy rating systems – LEED, BREEAM and Green Star – are already converging toward common carbon metrics and common rating concerns.

7. Performance disclosure

Already popular in the European Union and Australia, requirements for buildings to disclose their energy use are gaining traction in the U.S. Beginning April 1, Seattle will require buildings of more than 10,000 square feet to disclose energy usage, and California will begin requiring disclosures starting next year, which Yudelson says will have a market impact, as prospective tenants will be able to compare what their energy costs will be between buildings.

“This is going to happen everywhere, particularly in big cities, because it’s the easiest move to take politically. It doesn’t say you have to retrofit the building. It just says you have to disclose,” he says.

8. Global carbon ratings

Carbon ratings that remain standard across countries are of particular interest to global property management companies. “If your company is committed to sustainability, you’re going to have to report this,” he says.

It’s also an issue for property investments tied to pension funds. “Anyone that has sustainable interests and wants access to capital will have to deal with this,” he says.

9. Solar power stalls

“Solar power is kind of slowing down,” mostly due to the costs involved, Yudelson says, adding that the focus is shifting instead to energy efficiency. “Solar is still happening. Lots of people like solar … because it’s visible and people want to see something for their money.”

However, for those building new construction today, he suggests that the most responsible move would be to make it “PV ready,” so that as solar becomes more cost-effective it will be cheap and easy to install.

10. Building management goes into the cloud

As buildings get more complex, Yudelson says, “we’re seeing the need for software that allows us to manage buildings out of the cloud.” Thanks to wireless sensors and controls, it’s getting increasingly easier to better direct building managers and maintenance people to locate and fix problems, and to do so remotely.

Claire Easley is a senior editor at Builder magazine.

Happy Trails,

Donnie

• EVERY ACTION MUST BE DONE WITH RESPECT TOWARD OTHERS AROUND YOU.
• SHOW NO DELIGHT IN THE MISFORTUNE OF  OTHERS, EVEN THOUGH HE BE YOUR ENEMY.
• IF ANYONE COMES TO SPEAK TO YOU WHILE YOU ARE SITTING, STAND, EVEN THOUGH HE WILL BE YOUR INFERIOR.
• BE NOT HASTY TO BELIEVE FLYING REPORTS TO THE DISPARAGEMENT OF ANY.
• ASSOCIATE YOURSELF WITH MEN OF GOOD QUALITY.
• IF YOU ESTEEM YOUR OWN REPUTATION, TIS BETTER TO BE ALONE THEN IN BAD COMPANY.
• LET YOUR CONVERSATION BE WITHOUT MALICE OR ENVY.
• SPEAK NOT INFURIOUS WORDS NEITHER IN JEST OR IN EARNEST.
• ALWAYS STAND WHEN A LADY ENTERS YOUR CIRCLE OR STANDS BEFORE THE TABLE.
• READ YOUR SCRIPTURES DAILY.
• HAVE A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU ADMIRE. WHEN HAVING A TOUGH DAY MOVE IT NEAR YOU.
• MAKE A GOAL EVERYDAY.  WRITE AND PONDER IN THE MORNING, REVIEW YOUR SUCCESSES AND FAILURES AT END OF EACH DAY.
• GATHER OTHERS TO SUPPORT HONESTY.
• ALWAYS LOOK A MAN IN THE EYE.
• ALWAYS HAVE A FIRM HANDSHAKE.
• PRAY FOR OTHERS.
• LOOK FOR WAYS TO SERVE OTHERS AT ALL TIMES.
• ALWAYS SAY WHAT YOU MEAN AND MEAN WHAT YOU SAY.
• BUILD TRUST THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS.
• DO NOT PARTAKE IN BASHING THE BIBLE.
• DO NOT FIGHT WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT WILLING TO SEE ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE. WHEN IN BATTLE (ARGUMENT) REPEAT THE OTHER SIDE  UNTIL THEY SAY YOU HAVE THEIR ARGUMENT.
• BUILD, NEVER DESTROY.
• ASPIRE TO INSPIRE.

Happy Trails,

Donnie