Trinity River coming alive in Dallas

Dallas Trinity Trails
Quality of outdoor life activities on the blackland prairie is about to be  catapulted  to a "better than good" rating here in the urban areas of Dallas!  Yesterday, the City Council said yes to a 4.5 mile concrete trail along the Trinity, connecting to both the Katy Trail and Santa Fe Trail.  Last month, construction bids were being collected for the first 2 miles of the Trinity Strand Trail in the design district, and developers in the Market Center and Medical District areas have decided to add trail behind their property along the new DART Rail line. The City is saying we may even have one of the planned lakes by 2016!

Did you know we have visiting Roseate Spoonbills, local Texas Wood Storks and River Otters (along with the wild pigs) that you can see at Lemmon Lake, or possibly while paddling on a 10 mile river trail? The Trinity Audubon Center continues to add hiking trails, as does Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center.

Whether you live in or move to Uptown, Oak Lawn, Park Cities, Greenway Parks, Greenway Crest, Lakewood, M Streets, Devonshire, Bluffview, the Design District, Downtown, North Oak Cliff, Downtown Dallas, the Arts District, Lake Highlands, Preston Hollow, Midway Hollow or in any neighborhood I missed, you will soon be able to walk, bike, or skate to a place where you can stand up paddle, canoe, kayak or crew!  Which is good, since the last month we've been envying and enjoying the land and water trails in Memorial area of Houston, everywhere in Austin (!) and along the ocean in the Florida Panhandle.  Kudos Dallas!

Thank you for my 15 minutes!

2012 -- First Half Joy!

1st half of 2012 update -- the Ebby Halliday Companies, including us at Dave Perry-Miller & Associates, have sold more than 1300 residential properties so far in 2012. We are in a dynamic market, which everyone reading or listening to the media knows by now.  When Buyers are asked what are the reasons for their motivation, they say "it's a great time to make a good deal", or "these mortgage rates are insanely low", and it looks like they've been saving up over the past 5 years to make the 20% down payment.  A large down payment gives them the opportunity to increase their equity as time goes on, instead of losing it immediately with a 1% down payment, a job change, market shift or life event.  Buyers are believing in real estate again as a good investment, they feel better about our "American Dream" of owning your own piece of the world.  Now, if the lenders, leaders and policy-makers refrain from greediness (right), maybe the residential markets will continue to settle down and be a place where  people want to stake their claims. Go Texas!

Dave Perry-Miller and Associates, Luxury Homes, Dallas, Texas

Dave Perry-Miller and Associates, Luxury Homes, Dallas, Texas
Our new listing -- a private, exquisite property on 1.6 acres!

3921 Mcfarlin University Park, TX 75205 - our new listing at Dave Perry-Miller & Associates

3921 Mcfarlin University Park, TX 75205 - Find Dallas Homes for sale with the DFW Real Estate Leader | Ebby Halliday Realtors

Summer in Dallas

Pretty amazing temperatures after last summer's ridiculously dangerous makes-you-want-to move to the North Pole heat wave from May-September. My Buyers actually enjoy looking at homes in our sub 100 degree days here in mid-July, as long as we stop for Starbuck's or a juice/smoothie.  Maybe cooler temps are why the market has still NOT SLOWED DOWN!

 Why else would residences be sort of flying off the shelves in various price ranges and submarkets; people are here buying instead of running off to Malibu, Seaside, Nantucket and Port Aransas to escape.  We finally have great, lazy days of summer full of baseball games, poolside get-togethers, OUTDOOR cookouts in state of the art outdoor living areas, long bike rides around White Rock Lake, kayaking, boating, al fresco restaurant dining... hmm....think I'll go walk my 75 lb poodle, Scout, and his 90 lb brother, Ranger, both still puppies!

Collaborative residential real estate?

Coming from a 25 year background in commercial real estate corporate tenant rep., I've become accustomed to teaming up to go after business.  Not so sure this concept translates well into residential real estate.  There are agents who 1) either already have teams, assistants, etc. and can't see any financial benefit, 2) lead agents who like to run the show, are not good collaborators and like it that way, 3) arrogant backstabbers (needs no further explanation), and 4) big picture thinkers who believe collaborative efforts benefit the individuals and the company.
In the 4+ years since I've made the excellent switch to residential in Dallas, I've learned that it pays to figure out which type you are, and, before considering teaming up with another agent, figure out which type of agent they are.  Do not be naive, faint-hearted -- if you run into a glitch, continue to stand up for what you feel is right, and then move on down the road.  There is business enough for all great agents.  I plan to continue collaborating, just looking before leaping. It is a FUN job even when it's hard. Merde