The Lone Star State is known for Long horn cattle, Cowboys, and bragging. But this free house is no Texas tall tale: until April 5, people who live in Texas have a chance to actually own some real Texas dirt: a brand-spankin’ new home, for a $100 raffle ticket. Texas-based Darling homes has built a 2,900 square ft., four bedroom, three bath new home in Prosper, just north of Dallas, a suburb growing faster than weeds after a Texas rain! The home has a gourmet kitchen and study area; hardwoods in the entry, granite gourmet custom kitchen, nook and family room, and many upgrades including landscaping, stereo system, and even Epoxy Paint Coating on the garage floor! And Darling has donated this $370,000 valued home to benefit ManeGait, a non-profit therapeutic horseback riding center that was founded by the principles of Darling Homes, Bill and Priscilla Darling.

On their 25th anniversary in 2007, the Darlings founded the equine therapy organization in McKinney, Texas after finding a dearth of such centers in Collin County, Texas. With 13 therapy horses and a High Five arena on 14 rolling acres in Collin County, Mane Gait offers lessons that help students improve balance, muscle strength, confidence, motivation, social skills and responsiveness. ManeGait also sponsors a significant financial aid program for clients who cannot afford the $450, ten-week riding session.

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Please welcome our newest guest blogger, Christine Rae!

Christine is the President & CEO of CSP International™ Business Training Academy and is well-known and respected for her work as a successful international trainer, speaker and author of Home Staging for Dummies.

We have several of Christine’s posts on hand so be on the look-out for her posts in the next few weeks.

Christine will also be hosting a free webinar on April 6 at 7pm EST called “Improve Your Bottom Line by Greening Your Business.”

The webinar can last up to 90 minutes, depending on the length of the question and answer portion.

For more information and to register for the free webiner, click here.

Terry Light calls himself a “professional contrarian”. Sometimes I think I may be a “professional contrarian” as well. Most of us are taught that we should have a pre-approval letter and a buyer’s agency agreement signed before we put a buyer in our car. I have always thought that if someone tried to make me sign a buyer’s agency – promising that I would only do business with them – before I had a chance to get to know them or to ascertain how competent they were, I would not sign it and would walk away. Our team feels that it is important to build the relationship first and that signing a buyer’s agency agreement will be a natural outcome of the relationship!

If a potential home buyer calls us to show a home or help the buyer find a home, we meet the future client and show them property without necessarily having either a buyer’s agency or pre-approval. Shortly into the meeting or showing, we will certainly put them in touch with a lender to get a preliminary idea of the buyer’s ability to purchase and at what level. We begin to demonstrate our competency by helping them get pre-qualified for a loan with a mortgage professional. Next we further demonstrate our skills by assessing the needs and wants of the buyer and by finding properties that fit the criteria and price range they are qualified for.

Our experience is that as we build this relationship there will be a natural juncture to say, “At this point I assume you want me to represent you in this transaction.” Typically the answer is yes and when we outline the important parts of the buyer agency agreement, the client usually is very much onboard!

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Of course Naples Florida is known as one of the most beautiful resort destinations in the country, but it’s important to discern why so many come year after year to discover the incredible amenities of distinction such as its beaches and superior golfing that make Naples such a special place.

First and foremost, it is the miles of crystal white sands, powder blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico and vast shoreline that border the wondrous coast of Southwest Florida that so many visitors come to relish in each and every season. With the warmth of the Florida sun and the radiance it endows, it’s no wonder why Naples is a magnet for all who come to enjoy its splendor. The top best beaches, and those that come to mind, are truly the most fabulous and untouched beaches of Naples and include the beaches of Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park, Clam Pass Beach Park, North Gulfshore Boulevard Beach and the renowned Vanderbilt Beach. Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park is a 166-acre tropical oasis with miles of pure white sands, where kayakers, boaters and fisherman frequent and located on a narrow barrier island this pass, a natural outlet for the Cocohatchee River.

In addition to the outdoor activities of fishing, boating and kayaking, Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park offers its guests Gulf-front swimming and picnicking amongst incredible preserves thick with mangroves, sea grapes and palm trees. Clam Pass Beach Park is another favorite laced with 35-acres of mangroves, coastal dunes and beaches, a boardwalk that provides access to and from the beach and offers access to free shuttle service, with beach equipment rentals and food and drink services available. North Gulfshore Boulevard Beach provides a walking path between the condos of Seagate and North Gulfshore Boulevard Beach in a calm and pictorial setting. Vanderbilt Beach is one of the largest and populated beaches in–season in Naples and offers beach equipment rentals including cabanas and water sports, concessions, is in very close proximity to the best restaurants in the North Naples area as well as great shopping and fabulous entertainment options. Over the past couple of years, Collier County has expanded parking on Vanderbilt Beach to include a 3-story parking facility to accommodate its expanding visitor populace.

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Thirty-nine percent of surveyed real estate professionals nationwide expect home values to decrease over the next six months; Sixty-four percent disapprove of Obama’s performance as President.

HomeGain, one of the first companies to provide free instant home valuations online, announced the results of its nationwide first quarter 2011 home values survey. Over 750 real estate agents and brokers and over 1,600 homeowners were surveyed.

Most real estate professionals and homeowners continue to expect home values to decrease or stay the same through the middle of the year. Thirty-nine percent of agents and brokers and thirty percent of homeowners think that home values will decrease over the next six months.

In the fourth quarter 2010 HomeGain National Home Values Survey, forty-six percent of agents and brokers and 30 percent of homeowners thought that home values would decrease over the next six months.

Forty-four percent of real estate agents and brokers and 46 percent of homeowners think that home values will remain the same in the coming six months.

Seventeen percent of real estate professionals expect home values to increase in the next six months, up from 12 percent last quarter. Twenty-four percent of homeowners expect home values to increase in the next six months, up from 22 percent last quarter.

According to surveyed agents and brokers, 76 percent of homeowners believe their homes are worth more than the recommended agent listing price. In contrast, 69 percent of home buyers believe homes are overpriced.

“Optimism regarding the direction of home prices among real estate professionals remains muted and relatively unchanged from last quarter. Home buyers and sellers continue to disagree on what homes are worth with buyers expecting lower prices and sellers continuing to believe their homes are worth more than their agents and brokers are telling them,” said Louis Cammarosano, General Manager of HomeGain.

Forty-nine percent of agents and brokers surveyed indicated that they “strongly disapproved” and 19 percent “somewhat disapproved” of Barack Obama’s performance as President, earning him a 68 percent disapproval rating versus the 67 percent disapproval rating of agents and brokers surveyed in the fourth quarter last year. Last quarter the President had a 67 percent disapproval rating among agents and brokers.

Forty-three percent of agents and brokers surveyed indicated that they “strongly disapproved” and 21 percent “somewhat disapproved” of Barack Obama’s performance as President, earning him a 64 percent disapproval rating versus the 58 percent disapproval rating of agents and brokers surveyed in the first quarter last year. Last quarter the President had a 68 percent disapproval rating among agents and brokers.

Thirty-nine percent of homeowners “strongly disapproved” and 19 percent “somewhat disapproved” of the President’s performance, earning him a 58 percent disapproval rating. The President had a 60 percent disapproval rating last quarter among surveyed homeowners with 42 percent “strongly disapproving”. The Rasmussen Daily Presidential Approval Index taken during the same period as the HomeGain First Quarter 2011 Home Values Survey indicated that the President’s average disapproval rating was 52 percent with an average of 39 percent “strongly disapproving” of his performance.

Below are the top states where real estate professionals and home owners think home prices will rise and fall over the next six months.

Top 10 States Where Real Estate Agents and Homeowners Think Home Prices Will Go Up in the Next Six Months:

Top 10 States Where Real Estate Agents and Homeowners Think Home Prices Will Go Down In the Next Six Months:

Top 10 States Where Real Estate Agents and Homeowners Approve of Barack Obama’s Performance as President:

Top 10 States Where Real Estate Agents and Homeowners Disapprove of Barack Obama’s Performance as President:

The survey was conducted from March 1-8, 2011.

View all prior HomeGain national and state home prices surveys.

The first quarter 2011 regional results are available by clicking here.

Set forth below are the results of the first quarter 2010 and 2011 national home prices survey as well as the results of the fourth quarter 2010 survey. Also set forth below for selected questions is the national home owner response data for the first quarter of 2011. Click on each question to see complete results:

Questions and National Results:

1. Have home prices increased, decreased or stayed the same in the last year?
2. On average, what do homeowners believe that their home is worth?
3. How do buyers feel that homes for sale are priced?
4. What is the average difference in price between what sellers believe their home to be worth and the amount at which the home gets listed?
5. What is the average difference in price between what a home is listed at and what a home sells for?
6. In the next six months, will the values of homes in your market increase, decrease or stay the same?
7. What percentage of homes for sale are foreclosures in your area?
8. What is the average home price in your area?
9. What percentage of your clients are first-time buyers?
10. How do you think Barack Obama is performing in his role as President?

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Below are the regional results of the entire survey, categorized into four regions*, Northeast, Southeast, Mid-West and West.

Questions and Regional Results

1. Have home prices increased, decreased or stayed the same in the last year?
2. On average, what do homeowners believe that their home is worth?
3. How do buyers feel that homes for sale are priced?
4. What is the average difference in price between what sellers believe their home to be worth and the amount at which the home gets listed?
5. What is the average difference in price between what a home is listed at and what a home sells for?
6. In the next six months, will the values of homes in your market increase, decrease or stay the same?
7. What percentage of homes for sale are foreclosures in your area?
8. What is the average home price in your area?
9. What percentage of your clients are first-time buyers?
10. How do you think Barack Obama is performing in his role as President?

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