Scenic Texas Organization Honors Town of Flower Mound With Inaugural Gold Scenic City Award
Citing a mission of supporting and recognizing Texas municipalities that implement high-quality scenic standards for public roadways and public spaces, Scenic Texas recently recognized the Town of Flower Mound with its highest honor, a Gold Scenic City Award.
Flower Mound was one of only four Texas municipalities to receive the Gold honor at an awards ceremony in Austin on September 16. Flower Mound received the award based upon evaluations of the Town’s Comprehensive Master Plan, Open Space Plan, Median and Right-of Way Master Plan, SMARTGrowth Plan, Fence and Sidewalk Replacement Programs, sign code and ordinances, and natural environment, including The Mound. In addition, Flower Mound’s “It’s Your Call” program which empowers residents and visitors to contribute to the scenic quality of the community, was also considered.
The Scenic Texas organization has identified a direct correlation between the success of a city’s economic development efforts and the visual appearance of its public spaces. In recognition of this, Scenic Texas developed the Scenic City Certification Program to recognize Texas cities which already have strong scenic standards and will provide an incentive to others to adopt and implement the kind of stringent criteria that has been proven to enhance economic development, improve quality of life, and foster a sense of place. For more information, please visit www.sceniccitycertification.org
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
8 Tips for Adding Curb Appeal and Value to Your Home
Curb appeal has always been important for homesellers. With the vast majority of today’s homebuyers starting their search on the Internet, the appearance of your property is more critical than ever. You only have a few seconds to catch their attention as they scroll through listings online to get them to stop and take a closer look.
But the role of curb appeal goes beyond just making a good first impression. The way your house looks from the street can impact its value. It can also shorten the time it takes to sell your house
1. Paint the house.
Hands down, the most commonly offered curb appeal advice from our real estate pros and appraisers is to give the exterior of your home a good paint job. Buyers will instantly notice it and appraisers will note it on the valuation
2. Have the house washed.
Before you make the investment in a paint job, though, take a good look at the house. If it’s got mildew or general grunge, just washing the house could make a world of difference,
3. Trim the shrubs and green up the yard.
Put a lot of emphasis on landscaping, such as cutting down overgrown bushes and replacing them with leafy plants and annuals mulched with beautiful reddish-brown bark.
You also don’t want bare spots. Take the time to fertilize the yard, throw out some grass seed, and if need be, add some sod.
3. Trim the shrubs and green up the yard.
California real estate agent Valerie Torelli says she puts a lot of emphasis on landscaping, such as cutting down overgrown bushes and replacing them with leafy plants and annuals mulched with beautiful reddish-brown bark. “It runs me $30 to $50,” says Torelli. “Do you get a return on your money? Absolutely. It sucks people in.”
You also don’t want bare spots. Take the time to fertilize the yard, throw out some grass seed, and if need be, add some sod.
4. Add a splash of color.
It could be a flower bed of annuals by the mailbox, a paint job for the front door, or a brightly colored bench or an Adirondack chair.
5. Add a fancy mailbox and house numbers.
An upscale mail box and architectural house numbers or an address plaque can give your house a distinctive look that stands out from everyone else on the block.
6. Repair or clean the roof.
Springfield, Va.-based home inspector and former builder Reggie Marston says the roof is one of the first things he looks at in assessing the condition of a home. He’ll look at other houses in the neighborhood to see if there are a lot of replaced roofs and see if the subject house has one as well. If not, he’ll look for curls in the shingles or missing shingles. “I’m looking at the roof for end-of-life expectancy,” he says.
You can pay for roof repairs now, or pay for them later in a lower appraisal; appraisers will mark down the value by the cost of the repair. That could knock thousands of dollars off your appraisal. According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2009-2010 Cost vs. Value Report, the average cost of a new asphalt shingle roof is more than $19,000.
“Roofs are issues,” Lucco says. “You won’t throw money away on that job. You gotta have a decent roof.”
Stains and plant matter, such as moss, can be handled with cleaning. It’s a job that can often be done in a day for a few hundred dollars, and makes the roof look like new. It’s not a DIY project; call a professional with the right tools to clean it without damaging it.
7. Put up a fence.
A picket fence with a garden gate to frame the yard is an asset. A fence has more impact in a family-oriented neighborhood than an upscale retirement community.
8. Perform routine maintenance and cleaning.
Nothing sets off subconscious alarms like hanging gutters, missing bricks from the front steps, or lawn tools rusting in the bushes. It makes even the professionals question what else hasn’t been taken care of.
“A house is worth less if the maintenance isn’t done,” Lucco says. “Those little things can add up and be a very big detractor. When people say, ‘I’d buy it if it weren’t for all the deferred maintenance,’ what they’re really saying is, ‘I’d still buy it if you reduce the price.’”
But the role of curb appeal goes beyond just making a good first impression. The way your house looks from the street can impact its value. It can also shorten the time it takes to sell your house
1. Paint the house.
Hands down, the most commonly offered curb appeal advice from our real estate pros and appraisers is to give the exterior of your home a good paint job. Buyers will instantly notice it and appraisers will note it on the valuation
2. Have the house washed.
Before you make the investment in a paint job, though, take a good look at the house. If it’s got mildew or general grunge, just washing the house could make a world of difference,
3. Trim the shrubs and green up the yard.
Put a lot of emphasis on landscaping, such as cutting down overgrown bushes and replacing them with leafy plants and annuals mulched with beautiful reddish-brown bark.
You also don’t want bare spots. Take the time to fertilize the yard, throw out some grass seed, and if need be, add some sod.
3. Trim the shrubs and green up the yard.
California real estate agent Valerie Torelli says she puts a lot of emphasis on landscaping, such as cutting down overgrown bushes and replacing them with leafy plants and annuals mulched with beautiful reddish-brown bark. “It runs me $30 to $50,” says Torelli. “Do you get a return on your money? Absolutely. It sucks people in.”
You also don’t want bare spots. Take the time to fertilize the yard, throw out some grass seed, and if need be, add some sod.
4. Add a splash of color.
It could be a flower bed of annuals by the mailbox, a paint job for the front door, or a brightly colored bench or an Adirondack chair.
5. Add a fancy mailbox and house numbers.
An upscale mail box and architectural house numbers or an address plaque can give your house a distinctive look that stands out from everyone else on the block.
6. Repair or clean the roof.
Springfield, Va.-based home inspector and former builder Reggie Marston says the roof is one of the first things he looks at in assessing the condition of a home. He’ll look at other houses in the neighborhood to see if there are a lot of replaced roofs and see if the subject house has one as well. If not, he’ll look for curls in the shingles or missing shingles. “I’m looking at the roof for end-of-life expectancy,” he says.
You can pay for roof repairs now, or pay for them later in a lower appraisal; appraisers will mark down the value by the cost of the repair. That could knock thousands of dollars off your appraisal. According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2009-2010 Cost vs. Value Report, the average cost of a new asphalt shingle roof is more than $19,000.
“Roofs are issues,” Lucco says. “You won’t throw money away on that job. You gotta have a decent roof.”
Stains and plant matter, such as moss, can be handled with cleaning. It’s a job that can often be done in a day for a few hundred dollars, and makes the roof look like new. It’s not a DIY project; call a professional with the right tools to clean it without damaging it.
7. Put up a fence.
A picket fence with a garden gate to frame the yard is an asset. A fence has more impact in a family-oriented neighborhood than an upscale retirement community.
8. Perform routine maintenance and cleaning.
Nothing sets off subconscious alarms like hanging gutters, missing bricks from the front steps, or lawn tools rusting in the bushes. It makes even the professionals question what else hasn’t been taken care of.
“A house is worth less if the maintenance isn’t done,” Lucco says. “Those little things can add up and be a very big detractor. When people say, ‘I’d buy it if it weren’t for all the deferred maintenance,’ what they’re really saying is, ‘I’d still buy it if you reduce the price.’”
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Don't Wait !
Daily Real Estate News | March 2, 2010 | Share
Buyers Who Wait May Lose a Lot
Potential home buyers who delay have a lot to lose.
First-time home buyer and move-up tax credits worth $8,000 and $6,500, respectively, expire April 30. Buyers who qualify get a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes or a cash payment if they don’t pay enough taxes to cover the credit.
Other factors that should spur buyers:
Low mortgage rates. If the Federal Reserve stops buying mortgage-backed securities at the end of March, 30-year rates will almost certainly rise to more than 6 percent.
Rising prices. About 30 percent of markets are already experiencing price increases. Prices are falling in 12 percent of markets, says Fiserv (but that only helps if you want to live there).
Source: Money Magazine, Beth Braverman (03/02/2010)
Browse all of today's news
Buyers Who Wait May Lose a Lot
Potential home buyers who delay have a lot to lose.
First-time home buyer and move-up tax credits worth $8,000 and $6,500, respectively, expire April 30. Buyers who qualify get a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes or a cash payment if they don’t pay enough taxes to cover the credit.
Other factors that should spur buyers:
Low mortgage rates. If the Federal Reserve stops buying mortgage-backed securities at the end of March, 30-year rates will almost certainly rise to more than 6 percent.
Rising prices. About 30 percent of markets are already experiencing price increases. Prices are falling in 12 percent of markets, says Fiserv (but that only helps if you want to live there).
Source: Money Magazine, Beth Braverman (03/02/2010)
Browse all of today's news
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Rising Sales in Most States !
Rising Sales in Most States, and Rising Prices in Many Metros (at Last!)
by NAR Research Staff
There was good news for most states in the 4th quarter of 2009. Existing-home sales rose from the 3rd to 4th quarter in 48 states and the District of Columbia. In fact, 32 states experienced double-digit quarterly gains. On a year-over-year basis, resales were higher in 49 states and the District, with all but three posting double-digit annual increases.
According to the latest quarterly statistics released by NAR Research, total state existing-home sales, including single-family and condo, jumped 13.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.03 million in the fourth quarter - up from 5.29 million in the third quarter. Existing-home sales rose 27.2 percent from their 4th quarter 2008 pace of 4.74 million units. As a further sign of housing market stability, distressed properties accounted for 32 percent of fourth quarter transactions; that is down from
37 percent a year earlier.
by NAR Research Staff
There was good news for most states in the 4th quarter of 2009. Existing-home sales rose from the 3rd to 4th quarter in 48 states and the District of Columbia. In fact, 32 states experienced double-digit quarterly gains. On a year-over-year basis, resales were higher in 49 states and the District, with all but three posting double-digit annual increases.
According to the latest quarterly statistics released by NAR Research, total state existing-home sales, including single-family and condo, jumped 13.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.03 million in the fourth quarter - up from 5.29 million in the third quarter. Existing-home sales rose 27.2 percent from their 4th quarter 2008 pace of 4.74 million units. As a further sign of housing market stability, distressed properties accounted for 32 percent of fourth quarter transactions; that is down from
37 percent a year earlier.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Overwhelming Performance!
A recently released survey of Flower Mound residents indicates that the community as a whole gives the Town overwhelmingly positive performance ratings, values the high-level of services provided, is pleased with the overall direction of the Town, and considers Flower Mound a safe community that they are likely to continue calling home and recommending to others.
The survey was mailed to 3,000 randomly selected Flower Mound Households in November 2009. A response rate of 39 percent resulted in the receipt of 1,134 completed surveys. All data was mathematically weighted by gender, age, and housing tenure, and scientifically analyzed to produce statistically-significant results that represent the entire community. Survey topics included quality of life and community, interest in new projects, and Town Services and government. A majority of the rankings placed satisfaction rates notably higher than the national average and of those given to comparable municipalities. More than 90 percent of the respondents indicated that they would recommend living in Flower Mound and that the Town was a good or excellent place to live and raise a family.
Residents also indicated high levels of satisfaction in public safety and community characteristics, and identified traffic, growth, economic development, aging neighborhoods, and the maintenance of streets and roads as significant issues currently facing Flower Mound. In addressing the traffic and road maintenance priorities, expansion or improvement work will begin, continue, or is scheduled to be complete in 2010 on a variety of major thoroughfares including FM 2499, FM 1171, Gerault/Morriss Road, Spinks Road, Dixon Lane, Flower Mound Road, and Garden Ridge Blvd. Flower Mound’s economic development environment will also receive a significant boost as the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital is projected to generate 500 new jobs and numerous ancillary medical facilities could create several hundred additional positions.
The Town Council and staff will utilize results from the survey to benchmark and measure service levels and for future programming, facility, and policy planning efforts.
Posted January 25, 2010
The survey was mailed to 3,000 randomly selected Flower Mound Households in November 2009. A response rate of 39 percent resulted in the receipt of 1,134 completed surveys. All data was mathematically weighted by gender, age, and housing tenure, and scientifically analyzed to produce statistically-significant results that represent the entire community. Survey topics included quality of life and community, interest in new projects, and Town Services and government. A majority of the rankings placed satisfaction rates notably higher than the national average and of those given to comparable municipalities. More than 90 percent of the respondents indicated that they would recommend living in Flower Mound and that the Town was a good or excellent place to live and raise a family.
Residents also indicated high levels of satisfaction in public safety and community characteristics, and identified traffic, growth, economic development, aging neighborhoods, and the maintenance of streets and roads as significant issues currently facing Flower Mound. In addressing the traffic and road maintenance priorities, expansion or improvement work will begin, continue, or is scheduled to be complete in 2010 on a variety of major thoroughfares including FM 2499, FM 1171, Gerault/Morriss Road, Spinks Road, Dixon Lane, Flower Mound Road, and Garden Ridge Blvd. Flower Mound’s economic development environment will also receive a significant boost as the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital is projected to generate 500 new jobs and numerous ancillary medical facilities could create several hundred additional positions.
The Town Council and staff will utilize results from the survey to benchmark and measure service levels and for future programming, facility, and policy planning efforts.
Posted January 25, 2010
Friday, December 11, 2009
FMPD Collecting Toys with Santa Cops Program
In the spirit of the holiday season, the Flower Mound Police Department is collecting toys and financial contributions in conjunction with the annual Santa Cops program. All gifts must be unwrapped and unmonogrammed, and cannot resemble a weapon. To refer a family for receipt of toys, please call 972.874.3357. Collection bins will be located at the following locations through December 16.
Police Department lobby (24 hours)
All Fire Stations
Town Hall
The Library
The Community Activity Center
Kroger’s - Both Flower Mound Locations
Healthkick
Duff’s Jewelry store
Chili’s - Both Flower Mound
Lifetime Fitness
Starbucks – FM 2499 and FM 3040
Police Department lobby (24 hours)
All Fire Stations
Town Hall
The Library
The Community Activity Center
Kroger’s - Both Flower Mound Locations
Healthkick
Duff’s Jewelry store
Chili’s - Both Flower Mound
Lifetime Fitness
Starbucks – FM 2499 and FM 3040
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