Texans, Save Money on Landscape Watering

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has an online tool that help save you money and conserve your resources.

They provide custom advice on how much water your yard needs. Water My Yard takes into account local weather conditions and irrigation system details to calculate watering recommendations for a specific address. Automated updates from the online tool can help you as a homeowner avoid overwatering you yard while keeping your landscape healthy and save money. The water district as a whole can benefit, too, from the resources and energy saved if homeowners only water when necessary.

Check to see if your buyers' new address is covered by Clicking Here @ Water My Yard. 

Remember you can reach me on social media at the links below. Don't forget to use the hashtag #RealtyMeDallas

Until Next Time...✌😉

http://www.realtymesold.com/

    

Works Cited: Editorial Staff at the Texas Association of Realtors ®

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Let’s walk into 2018 together, hand in hand bringing new light to the entire world.

“Walk together children, don’t get weary.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Remember you can reach me on social media at the links below. Don't forget to use the hashtag #RealtyMeDallas

Until Next Time...✌😉

http://www.realtymesold.com/

    

Charisse Williams, #DallasRealtor #TexasRealtor #RealEstateAgent #Realtor Wanna Chat??? Contact at www.RealtyMeSold.com or 972-584-7253. #RealtyMeSold #DFW #Dallas #texas

#ihaveadream #weshallovercome #wakeup #america #mlk #inpiration #blackpower #speech #bob #motivation #quotes #freedom #love #instagood #photography

Prepare Your Home For Fall

Four Fall Home Projects:

1. Clean and Reverse Fans. Your ceiling fans have been hard at work all summer so they may have gathered more dust than you realize. Turn your fans off, and clean the sides, tops and bottoms of the blades. Reverse your fans so the blades send air upward to disrupt the warm air that collects near the ceiling and disperse it downward. This is particularly effective in rooms with high or vaulted ceilings and rooms with stoves or fireplaces.
2. Clean Window Treatments. Use a cordless hand-held vacuum to remove dust from hanging window treatments. If you have hanging curtains, take them down for a gentle launder. While they're down, clean your windows and sills thoroughly.
3. Vacuum and Clean Furniture. Vacuum your upholstered furniture, and spot-clean the big stains as needed. Always test an inconspicuous area of your couch before applying any cleaning agent to a main area.
4. Seal the Air Leaks. Check your windows and doors for damaged weather stripping and cracked caulking, and make repairs as needed.

Remember you can reach me on social media at the links below. Don't forget to use the hashtag #RealtyMeDallas

Until Next Time...✌😉

http://www.realtymesold.com/

    

Works Cited: Home Warranty of America, Inc. eblast

Tips for Entrepreneurs

According to recent reports, as many as 49% of small business owners use personal credit cards for business use. This statistic is alarming for several reasons:

1. First, by using personal credit cards for business purposes, the owner is mixing their personal and business finances and could be compromising the liability protection provided by the corporate structure of their business. 
2. Second, every business owner relying on their personal credit cards is putting their personal credit at risk for the sake of their business. This is a bad idea, because if the business starts to have problems their personal credit rating could suffer substantially. Many people have had to file personal bankruptcy because of debts that actually belonged to their business's. 
3. Third, business owners who use personal credit to finance their business are foregoing the opportunity to use credit cards to build business credit. Instead of giving their business a safety net of credit and further protecting their personal finances and credit, they are jeopardizing the business's financial well being, their own credit, and their own financial well-being. 

As you can see, I'm not exactly a fan of using personal credit cards for business. It's just a bad idea. You are much better off separating your business expenses out onto business cards, reporting to business credit bureaus, that are not in any way tied to your own personal credit.

Even your business is new and you can't get approved for a line of credit, start by using a business debit card. Honestly, depending on the business it may be more beneficial as this helps to prevent overspending as well.

Remember you can reach me on social media at the links below. Don't forget to use the hashtag #RealtyMeDallas

Until Next Time...✌😉

http://www.realtymesold.com/

    

Works Cited: Corporate Business Strategies eblast

Girl, Where Have You Been?

So my last post to this blog was in February and some of you may be wondering "Girl, where have you been?". I may not have the largest following but I'm grateful for those that are loyal to following this blog.

To be transparent, December of last year I was in a car accident. I really don't talk much about it because I try to show my best self everyday. Let me tell you it was stressful but here is the "short" version of story. I didn't use an attorney because after researching online, with my level of injuries it was better to pursue the case on my own. I really have to give a lot of credit to google and it's amazing search engine. I was able to provide a diagram of the accident with thorough explanations, police reports from the scene, photos, and videos.  It was determined that the other party was at fault (After a 3 week battle) and the insurance company said the video footage submitted was the most weighed factor in their decision. I have to say through this experience I really am encouraged to purchasing a dash camera. Dash-cam footage has been the only real way to substantiate claims these days. And I'm not saying people are dishonest but the other party definitely didn't have the truth in them. It's no wonder why dash-cameras are required in some parts of the world.

I had to do therapy for about five or six months. The insurance company only gave me 4 days to replace my vehicle. Can you imagine on top of everything you have to do trying to replace your car in only 4 days? It was a nightmare trying to balance work, life, recovery, and trying to close this chapter in my life.

In June, I finally settled with the insurance company for a five figure amount that I was satisfied with. Again, google helped me a lot in that area as well. I used an online calculator to determine a fair amount to start negotiations based on medical expenses, lost earnings, future lost income, estimated future expenses, multiplier for damages, and finally pain & suffering. To add to the stress I later found out that the hospital put a lien against me for the balanced owed. Gratefully, God kept me in good spirits.

The experience that I went through was crazy (to say the least) and I definitely wouldn't wish that on anybody. I thank God for his covering on me, his comfort during my break downs, and his grace as I pressed through.

I'm blessed to be alive today and that is just further proof that God is not done with me yet. I've got way more to do.

Remember you can reach me on social media at the links below. Don't forget to use the hashtag #RealtyMeDallas #RealtyMeSold

Until Next Time...✌😉

http://www.realtymesold.com/

    

Tax Return Season - Uses Towards Your New Home Purchase

So writing a blog is still new to me. I may have underestimated the frequency needed for most readers. How often do you read blogs? Everyday, every week, or every month? Let me know in the comments below.

 It's officially tax season and I'm so excited! Tax season is the time period in which the real estate market typically picks up. More buyers hit the market because they can utilize their returns to help contribute to their downpayment. 

Now I am in no way prepared just yet to file. However I did set an appointment with my accountant, I just need to do all the preparations. ( Which seems to take forever for entrepreneurs ) so to all the accountants out there in the world, I apologize in advance on behalf of all the self-employed. I apologize for all the receipts you must got through and any other turmoil you may experience just to file our returns. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are greatly appreciated!

Did you know there are many other ways to utilize your tax return towards your new home purchase besides using it as extra money for a downpayment? Today I'm going to share with you some information on utilizing your tax refund to help buy a home. I've helped clients realize their buying power with just a few of the tips I've shared below. Another reason why you should hire me as your agent when purchasing a home! 😉 *small plug*

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For those of you who will receive a return during tax season it's good to know how you can make that return beneficial as a potential buyer to buy a home. Below is a list of 4 different ways to make that happen:

1. Use the funds as a downpayment

If your down payment is as big as 20% or as little as 3% down, it is often the biggest obstacle to overcome in purchasing a new home. 

2. Pay for closing costs

Not everyone is eligible for a $0 down loan program such as VA or USDA. Closing costs are the next biggest expense after a down payment. 

3. Buy down your interest rate

If your down payment & closing costs are already take care of and you intend to stay in your new home for 5 years, you may consider paying discount points to obtain a lower rate. This may save you thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage. 

4. Eliminate Private Mortgage Insurance

If you are not paying at least 20% down, you will likely have MI (Mortgage Insurance). However, there are specific programs that allow you to pay the mortgage insurance upfront (as a one-time fee) and saving you thousands over the first few years as well as lower your payment.


*IMPORTANT NOTE* I am not a CPA or Tax Advisor. Any questions on the specifics above should be directed to your tax professional and/or the IRS website.


Works Cited
Davidson, Linda "Ask The Mortgage Expert" Real Estate & Friends. April 2015: 34

That concludes today's blog. You can also reach me on social media at the links below. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #RealtyMeDallas

Until next time....

    

Are Students Loans Preventing You from Deciding to Buy a Home?

Many people have mentioned they would buy a home but their student debts are an obstacle to their homeownership dreams.

If you can relate to these people, there are few things I want you to keep in mind:

• Do you have a repayment plan? 
• Lenders will want to see that you are paying on the loans and, if possible, an income-based repayment plan.
• What's your debt-to-income ratio?
•  It’s not just student debt that will affect your ability to borrow for a home. Your overall monthly debt-to-income ratio must be below 43% to qualify for most mortgages.
• How much can you save for a downpayment? 
• Committing to a larger downpayment will make you more attractive to lenders, but if you can’t afford that, it’s worth investigating whether your individual situation would be a good fit for an FHA loan.

I hope these tips help you in your decision to pursue homeownership. Remember you can reach me on social media at the links below. Don't forget to use the hashtag #RealtyMeDallas

✌😉