DFW Relocation

Think twice before buying a house in these cities any time soon. Home buyers looking for a bottom in the real estate market may have been encouraged by housing data released earlier this week. Sales of existing homes rose 2.4% in May, according to the National Association of Realtors. The increase was a little less than most analysts had expected, but it represented the second straight month of improvement. Meanwhile, sales of new homes dipped 0.6% in May, continuing a trend of fairly flat months so far this year, according to data released by the Commerce Department. Don't get too excited - it's still too early to say the housing market bottomed out, analysts and economists say. Distressed properties still account for about a third of all sales, and 29% of sales were to first-time home buyers, who are currently benefiting from an $8,000 tax credit. More from » What is your home worth? » The Tax Implications of Foreclosures » Top Real Estate Listings The sales trends are tel...

Welcome to the HOA Board! The annual homeowner association meeting convenes. The president announces that the floor is open for nominations. A fellow homeowner say to you, "You know, you would make a good board member." Before you have a chance to reply, some body movement indicates that you are willing, ready and able to serve. "The nominations are closed," a vote is taken, and suddenly YOU ARE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. You ask yourself, "What does being on the board mean, who is going to teach me and how much do I get paid?" Here are some basic guidelines on how to become a successful board member and enjoy it at the same time...a lesson in HOA responsibilities and practices. What does it mean to be on the board? You have made a commitment that you will serve the HOA's interests to the best of your ability, be fair on matters that come before the board, will do your best to preserve and enhance the values of the common areas and that you will spend ...

09:45 PM CST on Thursday, January 29, 2009 By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News Don't expect any quick deals in Dallas-Fort Worth's stalled real estate market. Oh, investors are out there, but they're waiting for the right time to strike. "There has been a huge amount of money lost by getting in too early," said Herbert Weitzman, who recently formed an acquisition partnership with Dallas investor Craig Hall. Weitzman - who's also chief executive of Dallas-based retail broker Weitzman Group - was on a panel of industry veterans who spoke Wednesday evening at a meeting of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors. "Things are not going to get better very soon," he said. "The deals that are going to happen are going to be later in the year. "There is going to be a huge amount of retail REO [foreclosed property] coming on the market later this year." Property sales in North Texas have slowed to a trickle because of the lack of cred...