PatO Homes - the Right Move!

Time to Get Away!!!!

I had a hard decision to make about a month ago. Do I take time off and go skiing with my son and my best friend from high school.I really didn't think I had the time or the money to go. Anybody else ever feel that way.Thanks to my buddy's persistence I decided to take some time off. As things would have it I listed a home in my subdivision on the day before I was to leave so I hustled to get everything done before I left. Still not thinking I was making the right decision to leave we took off towards Winter Park, Co. By 5 pm on Tuesday we had a contract signed on my new listing. Looks like I should worry less and take more time away!!!

Again this shows that Dallas Fort Worth is a great place to do business. If you know of anyone looking to make the move to DFW let me know. I will take good care of them for you..and the time away was Awesome!! 

We are # 1 !!!!!!! But you already knew this!!!

This is what I have been preaching for the past year. While there are parts of the US that are having problems...Dallas Fort Worth continues to roll. This is a great time to buy in DFW. If you know someone looking to move to this dynamic area let me know!!! More people moving to the area spells opportunity not only in Real Estate but other business'.....

Now is the time to buy!!!!

Dallas-Fort Worth tops population growth

Eight out of the 10 fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. are in the South, according to numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau Thursday.

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By Catherine Clifford, CNNMoney.com staff writer

Last Updated: March 27, 2008: 8:05 AM EDT

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- More people moved to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, than to any other metropolitan area in the United States last year.

The population there increased by 162,250 between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report. Atlanta, Phoenix and Houston also saw their ranks swell by more than 100,000 people each.

The census measures metro areas with the biggest population increases, as well as the fastest-growing metro areas.

But the survey actually shows slower growth compared to previous years, according to William Frey, demographer at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.

"The big story in these numbers is that they are putting the breaks on the fast growth," said Frey. The effects of the slowing economy and the housing crunch began to set in during the first half of 2007, and will be more pronounced in the next census.

"When these numbers come out next year, we will see the continuation of this meltdown," Frey added.

Palm Coast, Fla., was the fastest growing U.S. metropolitan area, expanding at a clip of 7.2%.

St. George, Utah; Raleigh-Cary, N.C.; and Gainesville, Ga., were also among the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States.

Indeed, eight out of the top ten fastest growing metro areas were located in the South, and the South also accounted for more than half of the 50 fastest growing regions.

The Sunbelt is the fastest growing part of the country because in large part thanks to its lower cost of living - from housing and groceries to taxes. The region has been one of the fastest growing for years now, says Frey and, "growth breeds more growth." As more people move to an area, there is increasing demand for goods and services, which creates more jobs.

A few cities were among both the fastest growing and the areas with the biggest population jumps. And two of those double-hitters were in North Carolina. Raleigh, N.C., was the third fastest-growing metro area, up 4.7%, and ranked 12th with a population gain of 47,052. Charlotte, N.C., was the 7th fastest-growing metro area, up 4.2%, and ranked 6th with a gain of 66,724.

Raleigh and Charlotte have been growing rapidly for close to 30 years, according to Bill Tillman, state demographer of the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management. Research Triangle Park, a science and technology hub, and the increasing number of national banks based in Charlotte are the area's biggest draws.

New Orleans was the 8th fastest-growing metro area, with a 4% population gain that meant 39,885 people moved back into the city. The area had seen the largest drop in population for the period between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006, after Hurricane Katrina.

Frey expects to see growth continue in the Southeast - expanding further into the less developed parts of South Carolina and Tennessee - and into the West, particularly in the interior parts of California, Arizona, and Colorado.

The U.S. Census bureau grouped counties into 363 metropolitan areas across the country. Those metropolitan areas contained 251.9 million people, or 83.5% of the nation's population.  

First Published: March 27, 2008: 7:36 AM EDT

Is it Smart To Wait???

The big debate is should I wait to buy that home?? If I own a home now should I stay or should I go???

A recent article from Time that may help your decision! Titled ......

Ignore the Headlines By Dan Kadlec

Dan talks about stocks and Home Buying. Here is what he says about the housing market....

As for housing, certainly some skepticism is in order. Formerly sizzling markets in Florida, Nevada, Arizona and California probably haven't seen the worst headlines just yet, though they may well be close. And "jumbo" mortgages, those more than $417,000, are likely to remain artificially high for a few more months while banks work through their credit issues.

But let's say you are emotionally ready to be a homeowner. You have good credit, plan to stay put for five years and have been waiting for the perfect entry point. It's time to get serious--before an inevitable rise in interest rates wipes out your advantage. "The thing that will make home prices stop falling is the very same thing that will push mortgage rates higher," says Jim Svinth, chief economist at mortgage firm Lending Tree. So anything you gain by a further drop in prices might be offset by rising financing costs.

Consider a typical home that sells for $218,900. You put down 20% and get a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at today's rate of 5.5%. Monthly principal and interest come to $994.31. Let's say that 12 months from now the same house goes for 10% less, or $197,010. But by then the recession is history and the Fed is jacking up rates to stem inflation. If mortgage costs rise a point, to 6.5%, your monthly payment would be $994.94 and you'd have saved nothing. Meanwhile, home prices might steady and sellers might become less willing to negotiate. And you have spent a year living someplace you'd rather not be.

It's more complicated if you must sell before you can buy. But that logjam won't persist forever--and if it appears you'll be trapped for a few years, try to refinance at today's lower rates. Risks always seem most acute when the headlines give you ulcers. But that's exactly when you should think long term--and get off your thumbs.

As he says...get off your thumbs. Especially in DFW!! The market is good, employment is good...it is a great time to make the move!! If I can answer any questions about our market let me know!!!

To read the entire article go to....

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1713483,00.html