First Day for New Dallas Mayor Dwaine Caraway

Today marked the first day as Mayor of Dallas for Dwaine Caraway. Caraway replaced former mayor, Tom Leppert.

Off to a busy first day, the new mayor of Dallas spent the day in an Economic Development meeting, at an event for Black History month, and then flew to Austin to present Dallas' legislative agenda at a legislative event.

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Your Janus Real Estate Team

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

President George Bush Turnpike Expansion Updates

Expanisions have been in the works on the President George Bush Turnpike for several years now. This month, there was an update meeting to report on progress and forthcoming plans.

The Eastern expansion is on target to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2011. This expansion extends the PGBT to Interstate 30.  For more detailed information on the progress, there is a quarterly report:

President George Bush Turnpike Expansion

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Removing Pet Odors While Selling Your Home

Air your house out. While you’re cleaning, throw open all the windows in your home to allow fresh air to circulate and sweep out unpleasant scents.  Once your house is free of pet odors, do what you can to keep the smells from returning. Crate your dog when you're out or keep it outdoors. Limit the cat to one floor or room, if possible. Remove or replace pet bedding.

Scrub thoroughly. Scrub bare floors and walls soiled by pets with vinegar, wood floor cleaner, or an odor-neutralizing product.  Try a 1:9 bleach-to-water solution on surfaces it won’t damage, like cement floors or walls.

Wash your drapes and upholstery. Pet odors seep into fabrics. Launder, steam clean, or dry clean all your fabric window coverings. Steam clean upholstered furniture.  Either buy a steam cleaner designed to remove pet hair for around $200 and do the job yourself, or pay a pro. You'll spend about $40 for an upholstered chair, $100 for a sofa, and $7 for each dining room chair if a pro does your cleaning.

Relocate pets. If your dog or cat has a best friend it can stay with while you're selling your home (and you can stand to be separated from your pet), consider sending your pet on a temporary vacation. If pets have to stay, remove them from the house for showings and put away their dishes, towels, and toys.

~HouseLogic

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Collin County Rental Home Search

Are you looking for a rental house in Allen, TX or a Collin County rental home?  Here is a link to search all current listings of rental homes in Texas.

Collin County Rental Home Search

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

How does foreclosure effect your credit

Payment history makes up the largest portion--35%--of your FICO score. And the higher your credit score, the harder you will be hit by a foreclosure, or by whatever alternate route you take because becoming delinquent on your debts had not been a regular occurrence. That is, if you've been good until now, one late payment has a disproportionate effect.

The biggest negative hit comes with your first late payment. If you have a credit score of 780, your first late payment could reduce your score by 90 to 110 points. And if your score is 680, it could fall by 60 to 80 points.  With a second late payment, your score could be hit by another 50 or so points.

If the loan goes to foreclosure, still another 50 points could be knocked off your score. If your lender doesn't immediately report your late payment to the credit bureaus, the delay could make an even greater hit when it finally is reported.

As an alternative to foreclosing, a forbearance agreement requires you to make reduced "good faith" payments for two to six months to re-establish a positive payment history, after which you may have to resume your original monthly payments or continue reduced payments under a loan modification and sometimes immediately pay off the missed amounts.

~HouseLogic

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Valentine's Day at Home

If you are skipping the hustle and bustle of restaurants tonight, enjoy the special night at home. A few ideas for a nice evening at home: 

Pull your sofa up in front of the fireplace

Dinner ordered in or cook a dinner at home

Music on the stereo

Chocolate covered strawberries (or any other fruit)

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 ounces white chocolate, chopped

1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well

·         Put the semisweet and white chocolates into 2 separate heatproof medium bowls.

·         Fill 2 medium saucepans with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt.

·         Stir until smooth. Once melted, remove from heat.

·         Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper.

·         Dip the fruit into the dark chocolate by the stem, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl.

·         Drizzle the white chocolate over the dark chocolate using a fork.

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Valentine's Day Events for Kids - Plano, Texas

Puppet Play: A sweet, whimsical book by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak, A Kiss for Little Bear , inspires this puppet show about Grandma Bear, who sends her Little Bear a kiss with the help of several animals.

• Saturday at 11 a.m. 
• Parr Library, 
• 6200 Windhaven Parkway, Plano. 
• Free

Crafts From The Heart: Kids can make gifts for their favorite valentines at all area Michaels stores this weekend.

• Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon
• All area Michael's stores
• Kids ages 3 and older can decorate a Valentine’s Day frame
• Decorating supplies are free with purchase of wooden frame ($1 apiece) while supplies last.

Valentine’s Books: Local author Linda Dowdy will read and sign copies of her new board book, All Kinds of Kisses , and Suzanne Roberts, will help kids make Valentine’s crafts and lead a Valentine’s singalong. songs. There will also be a reading of Ruby Valentine Saves the Day.

• Saturday Feb. 12 at 11 a.m. 
• Barnes & Noble at Creekwalk Village
• 801 W. 15th St., Plano. 
• Free

~Dallas Morning News

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

Repairing Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors take a beating over the years. But dingy floors or missing chunks are easy to repair. 

• Scratches - Wax sticks are great at disguising scratches. Rub these over scratches in the floor vigorously to help camouflage the scratches. You can also mix a variety of colors to get one that is close to the overall texture of your floors. You can pick this up at your local hardwood store or in the hardware section of your local supermarket.
• Shine - Mix equal parts olive oil and vinegar, which work together to remove dirt, moisturize, and shine wood. Pour a little directly onto the scratch. Let the polish soak in for 24 hours, then wipe off. Repeat until the scratch disappears. 
• Separation - Floorboards that have separated over time can be fixed with colored wood putty.  Or, if you have some leftover planks, rip a narrow band and glue it into the gap.
  
  
  Janus Real Estate Group *    Heather Anderson *    972-765-3773
  

Recommended Items for Emergency Supply Kit

 With winter storms swarming the nation, now is a good time to think about your emergency supply kit.  In the event you ever need one, here are a few suggested items to include:

• Water - 1 gallon of water, per person, per day - For at least 3 days. 
• Food - At least a 3 day supply of non-perishable foods
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle
• Moist towlettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties for sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener
• Local maps
• Cell phone and chargers
• Battery powered or hand cranked radio
• Pet food and extra water for your pets
• Medications
• Fire extinguisher
• Matches
• Cash or travelers checks
• Important family documents

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773

What to look for in your first home

When you go to the first set of homes in your home search, you are pumped and ready to find the home of your dreams. But, before you set foot in the first door, do you know what you are looking for. It is true that many will go about the home search process knowing what they do not want, and discovering what they do want along the way. But knowing what to check for in each house will make comparing the few gems you love and narrowing it down to your one diamond.

• Neighborhood- Ideally you will spend a good amount of time in the neighborhood.  Do you desire a golf course community or a quiet neighborhood? Do you want a neighborhood full of kids around the age of your children, or looking for one with fewer children? What amenities are you looking for in your direct access?

• Curb appeal- Brick How is the roof? The current landscaping-what will it require to maintain a positive first impression? Do you want a brick, wood, Tudor style or Victorian era home?

• Floor plan – Do you want the bedrooms to all be on the same floor or all on the same size of the house, or do you want them split. Do you plan on entertaining – is the house set up to accommodate this? Do you need a mother-in-law suite (a guest suite).

• Kitchen – While you can remodel a kitchen, this can cost thousands and tens of thousands of dollars. If you are not realistically prepared for this expense, then make sure that the kitchen design is a good set up for you now.  The kitchen is one most time spent rooms.

• Windows and lighting – Know the trade off of having a light and bright home with walls of windows compared to the electricity and utility bills. Notice the electrical outlets. Are there sufficient outlets throughout the most used areas of the home, or will this be an added stress and project. 

Janus Real Estate Group    *    Heather Anderson     *    972-765-3773