Tag Archives: forclosure homes in dallas

Solutions for Common New Year’s Resolutions

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One of the most common New Year’s resolutions involves losing weight and getting in shape. Joining a gym can help you do so, but those memberships can be costly. And besides, it can be difficult to get motivated to go to the gym when it’s freezing outside!

There is an easy solution. You can create a fitness space in your new home.  And the best part is that it won’t cost you any money. You’ve got all the equipment you need right at your fingertips.  

The next time you’re in front of the TV, sit on the edge of the sofa or chair, brace yourself with your hands, and slowly raise your legs in front of you. Hold the position for a count of ten and slowly lower your legs to the floor. Repeat as many times as you can. This exercise is great for working your stomach muscles!

For toned legs, climb the stairs in your home as slowly as you can until the muscles in your legs start to feel tired.  When this routine gets easy, try taking the stairs two at a time, or continue single steps, but slow the pace even more.

You can also work your calf muscles while washing dishes. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and rise up on your toes. Stay there for a few seconds, and slowly lower your feet back down. Repeat as many times as you need until you feel your muscles burn slightly.

Going grocery shopping? Carry bags that are of equal weight in each hand and slowly shrug your shoulders as many times as you can. Once you’re in the house, sit down, grasp one bag in your hand, resting your elbow on your knee. Slowly raise and lower the bag 5-10 times to work your bicep muscle. Switch the bag to your other hand and repeat. 

To give your lower back and thigh muscles a workout, place your clean, wet laundry into a laundry basket to transfer to the dryer.  Hold the basket in front of you, keeping it close to your body to minimize lower back strain. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, angling your toes slightly outward. Keeping the weight on your heels, slowly descend into a squat by pushing your hips back as if you were sitting down on a chair. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor, and stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor. Slowly stand up straight and repeat 5-10 times.

Finally, for an overall cardio workout, tackle your usual household chores with a burst of speed! Move quickly from dusting to sweeping and vacuuming without taking a break.  You’ll finish your chores in record time and get a great workout at the same time!

If you’re thinking of moving to the north Dallas area, there are a variety of new homes available. Landon Homes, the Frisco home builder, constructs high quality, energy efficient homes in premier neighborhoods. For more information, contact Tanya Smith toll-free at 866-898-3603.

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Rob Rone – New Sales Manager at Enclave

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Landon Homes welcomes Rob Rone as the new sales manager at The Enclave at Lakeview, its new home community in Little Elm, Texas. Located just east of Lake Lewisville, this master planned community includes four amenity centers with pools, parks, trails and more.

Rone has been selling real estate for 17 years, and is happy to have joined the Landon Homes family. He notes that one reason The Enclave at Lakeview is great is its location – easy access to the nearby toll road, and just a few short minutes from Lake Lewisville. Home owners can dock their boat or personal watercraft at nearby Cottonwood Creek Marina, which is open year-round. 

Rob says that the price point for the size of home found in The Enclave is “fantastic.” He explains that home buyers are getting more features for the money than they are getting from other builders in the area, like granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. And there are numerous energy-saving features too.

For instance, Landon uses 2×6 exterior wall construction, instead of 2×4. As a result, the thicker lumber holds 57% more insulation than traditional homes, reducing unwanted heat loss or gain and decreasing the energy demands on your home. Other energy-efficient measures included are Cardinal glass tinted windows, a tech-shield radiant heat barrier in the attic, tankless water heater, as well as appliances that meet or exceed Energy Star requirements.

Lakeview is served by Frisco’s newest and best schools, including on-site Robertson Elementary. The amenities in the community include basketball courts and a roller hockey rink. Plus, it’s close to Stonebriar Mall, IKEA and the Dr. Pepper Ball Park.

Homes are available for quick move-in. If you’d like to schedule a tour, contact Tanya Smith toll-free at 866-898-3603, or visit the Landon Homes website.

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A place for everything, and everything in its place

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When you buy a new home in McKinney, TX, it’s only natural to do everything you can to keep the house in pristine shape after you move in. By spending some time on home organization, you can make sure that clutter doesn’t find a way to move in with you!

Here are a few strategies you can use to keep everything in its place:

1. Set aside one area in your home for mail and important papers.  Soon as the mail comes in, throw out what you don’t need and file the rest in your designated location.

2. Keep kitchen counters clear for food preparation. Store appliances you don’t use every day out of sight. Use tiered stacking shelves and pull-down racks for cabinets. Expandable or modular organizers are great to utilize every inch of drawer space.  A great place to find these supplies is the new Container Store, which recently opened in McKinney.

3. Implement the one in, one out rule. Whenever you get something new like a book or piece of clothing, get rid of something old. That way you’ll avoid the tendency to accumulate things.

4. Use stacking drawers or shelves in closets to take advantage of the vertical space. Also, save time selecting an outfit to wear by color coordinating your clothes, and grouping similar items together.

5. Take advantage of areas over doors and underneath beds to store items you don’t use often. On the other hand, make sure the items you do use frequently are each to reach.

6. Organize your cleaning supplies in one area of your garage, pantry or laundry room to keep them easily accessible.

7. Keep magazines and catalogs from piling up by keeping only the last 6 issues, or better yet, tear out the pages you wish to save, and recycle the rest of the periodical.

If you’re looking to buy a new home in McKinney, TX, contact Landon Homes at 866-898-3603 to schedule a tour of Shiloh Ranch. This quiet community features some of the largest homesites McKinney has to offer.

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A Bright Side to the Housing Bust

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EnclaveAtLakeviewLifestyleCNN Staff Writer, Les Christie, writes “Homebuying has not been this affordable in a generation.”  Falling home prices along with the $8,000 federal tax credit for home buyers is creating an incredible home buying opportunity for first time buyers.  Empty Nesters who are rethinking their current living conditions and downsizing or buying a second home also appreciate the more affordable pricing.

For buyers in all stages of life, good schools, good value and an improved quality of life are important considerations when making a decision about where to buy a new home.  Landon Homes, a North Dallas homebuilder, is counting on the fact that their community, The Enclave at Lakeview, has something for North Dallas area new home first time buyers as well as empty nesters:  good schools, four amenity centers, one story and two story floorplans with great value and an easy commute to key business, shopping and entertainment areas.

The Enclave at Lakeview offers some of the best prices in the Frisco Independent School District. Located in Little Elm just east of Lake Lewisville, this master-planned community includes four amenity centers, with pools, parks, trails, and more. Lakeview is served by Frisco’s newest and best schools. Panther Creek Parkway leads directly from the Tollway into the community. Frisco’s key business, shopping and entertainment areas are just 10 minutes away.

New homes in The Enclave at Lakeview are affordably priced from the $150’s.  If you’re a first time home buyer and want a new home in the Frisco ISD, time and opportunity are running out.  In order to qualify for the $8,000 tax credit, you must close on or before November 30th and currently there are two homes at The Enclave that can meet that timeframe.  For more information, contact Tanya Smith anytime by phone at 214-707-0347 or just click on our LIVE CHAT feature throughout the Landon Homes website for speedy answers to all of your new home questions.

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$8,000 First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit

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Do You Qualify for the $8,000 First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit?It’s easier than you might think……but time’s running out!

Yes. It’s true.  If you are qualified and close on a new home on or before November 30, 2009, you can receive a dollar-for-dollar reduction in what you owe on your 2009 tax return.  That means if you owe $8,000 in income taxes you will receive an $8,000 tax credit and owe nothing to the IRS.  If you owe $4,000 on your 2009 tax returns, then you’ll get a credit for $4,000 and a $4,000 check from the Federal Government for the difference. This money does not have to be repaid.

How do I qualify?

There are two qualifying factors:

  1. You qualify if you are a first time home buyer or if you haven’t owned a principal residence during the past three years.
  2. You qualify as a married couple filing jointly if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is less than $150,000. If you are a single person, your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) must be less than $75,000.  A partial tax credit is available for individuals earning between $75,000 and couples earning between $150,000 and $170,000.

What type of home qualifies?

Any home that is used as a principal residence will qualify for the credit. This includes single-family detached and attached homes, manufactured homes and even houseboats.

How do I claim the Tax Credit?

All you have to do is claim the tax credit on your 2009 income tax return by completing IRS Form 5405 to determine your tax credit amount and then claiming it on Line 69 of your 1040 tax return.  No other applications or forms are required.

With mortgage interest rates and housing prices at record lows – coupled with the $8,000 tax rebate – this is a golden opportunity for first time buyers to enjoy the benefits of home ownership. But you have to act now.  This tax credit is only available for homes closed on or before November 30th.  That’s just four months away!

If you’re in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and want to find out more about how you can use the $8,000 tax credit, because not all home builders know how to make this work for you. But Landon Homes, rated one of the best new home builders in Dallas, does and their homes qualify.

Landon Homes is helping buyers every day take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit.  Call 1-866-898-3603 or log onto:  www.LandonHomesUSA.com for more detailed information about the $8,000 tax credit.

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Dallas Foreclosure Homes versus New Homes

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Is a Foreclosure Home Really a Better Deal.

Take a close look…..a foreclosure home may actually cost you more than a brand new home

On the surface, homes in foreclosure can seem like a real bargain.  And, in today’s economy, we all want to save a little…or a lot…of money.  But will a foreclosed home really save you money?  Many unsuspecting buyers of foreclosed homes often discover too late that the true cost of a distressed property often doesn’t end with the sales price.  As a matter of fact, when you take a closer look, you’ll find that buying a new home can actually save you money.

Most prospective buyers don’t understand the risks that come with a foreclosed home. In an effort to educate home buyers on the realities of purchasing a foreclosed home, Landon Homes, one of the most respected and successful home builder in Dallas, has put together a comparison chart so buyers know what to look for and the questions to ask when comparing foreclosed homes with new homes in the Dallas area.  Here are a few examples:

                  Foreclosure Homes                 Builder Homes

Cost The repairs may be costly or you may need loan assistance to pay for them. A Home Equity Loan should not be the first thing you do.
 Save time and money up front. You may even come out in front when buying a new home once you add up the cost of repairs.
Warranty AS IS means AS IS who will you turn to when something doesn’t work or breaks? Nobody stands behind the work. Not even the bank.
 Fully warranted by Landon Homes.
Damage The extent of the damage to the home may not be unveiled until you move in it can be expensive and time-consuming to fix.
 Your Landon Home is guaranteed and any small repairs can be handled immediately.
Liens The surprise of possible liens and/or judgments against the property is not what you intentionally signed up for. All new Landon homes come with a clean title.

The cost for repairs, legal fees and clean-up can quickly turn that bargain foreclosure into something you quickly regret. Learn more about the cost advantages of buying a new home at foreclosed pricing over buying a foreclosed home.

One of the biggest un-seen advantages of buying a new home is the latest energy saving and construction techniques incorporated in new homes that save buyers money on their utility bills and their insurance premiums.

Visionary builders like Landon Homes in Dallas build homes that respect both the environment and your budget. At Landon, energy experts work hand-in-hand with architects to create a home that is both beautiful and eco-friendly and conserves energy resources thereby minimizing your monthly utility expenses while maximizing design impact and flex space. 

For more information about how a new home can save you money on new homes in Dallas and Frisco ISD at foreclosure prices, go to:  www.LandonHomesUSA.com or call 1-866-898-3603.

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