Image – Dirt2Doorbell

Feature Team Member- Becca Rogers

We sat down and had a chat with the fabulous Becca Rogers today. She’s the newest member of our sales team and represents some exciting changes for us. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

There are a few things you should know about Becca before we get to her position here. She is an avid reader. Any book will do, but cliché love stories and Harry Potter books are her niche. When she’s not reading, you’ll likely find her coming to the rescue for some lucky pooch. Like many in the office here, she has an open heart and loves her fur babies! She’s a true DFW native who loves rooting for our Rangers, so Bark at the Park is basically the best thing ever for her (especially if she can swim there while reading the new Harry Potter book). She shares these passions with her fiancé, Tyler, and stepson, Ryder.

We love her for all of these things, but we chose her for a couple of other passions. Specifically, her love for customer service and for home building. At her last workplace, Becca got a taste of 24/7 customer service. She loved it. She really enjoyed being available to participate in the exciting process alongside clients. Her passion for home-building comes from her experience as a child. Her father was a home-builder, and she loved to visit the model homes and find out how things were made. These fit well into our needs for a New Home Specialist. She’s the friendly voice on the phone when you call in asking about a new home. We are always striving to be better, and this position is one way we make sure you have the best home-buying experience with us.

Until Next Time,

-Rebekah

Nifty Keen

If you’re following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you might have noticed things looking a little different. As the market in the area continues to grow, we are seeking to provide our customers with the absolute BEST experience. In order to accomplish that we are providing you with information in the best way possible, whether you are trying to envision the home we’re building for you or keeping up with the progress in one of our communities.

The most dramatic tool that we’ve recently sampled is a drone with camera attachment. It can be a challenge to fully communicate the beauty of a well-planned community from street-level. You can’t see the views or the nearby community center. A higher vantage point helps you see what we know is there. Check out this example.

The other exciting tool we’ve been exploring is a 360° camera. We’ve been toying with taking stills for now. They allow you to easily manipulate the area, and get a good idea of our community or home. Up and coming will be 360° videos that will allow you to take a virtual reality tour of our most popular plans! Check out one recent experiment in stills below, and be on the lookout for the videos soon!

[vrview img=”https://dirt2doorbell.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/R0010092.jpg” ]

Until Next Time,

Rebekah

Building in 2016

*Edited 7/26/16 to include better detail about the effect of interest rates on buying power*

We all know that there are certain advantages that come with building: customization, quality control, planned neighborhoods, etc. Less known, are the benefits of building for completion this year. Since the deadline is fast approaching to build your home for completion within the year, we decided to share some of the benefits for those of you on the fence.

Low Interest Rates

-Rates are holding steady now but this is expected to change soon. With rates at historic lows and the Fed looking to increase, rates don’t have anywhere to go but up.

-Get more home for your money now! With lower interest rates, you can afford more home. When rates rise, your hard earned dollar will be eaten by interest. The table below is from this site and illustrates the impact of rising interest on your monthly budget.

Max Principle & Interest Payment	4.50%	5.00%	6.00%
$1,000	$245,000	$235,000	$208,000
$1,200	$295,000	$280,000	$250,000
$1,400	$345,000	$325,000	$292,000
$1,600	$395,000	$372,000	$335,000
$1,800	$445,000	$420,000	$375,000
$2,000	$495,000	$465,000	$415,000

DFW on the Rise

-The cost of older homes, and home sites are on the rise, and expected to continue with the steady stream of new jobs coming to the metroplex.

-As property prices rise, rent prices rise.

First Time Buyer Advantages

-There are still funds available for First Time Buyer programs! Both the government and the banks have programs specifically for first time buyers.

-Take advantage of Down payment assistance programs with low interest rates. See a community sales counselor for qualifying details

Taxes

-Qualify for your full homestead exemption when you purchase a home before 2017!

-Take advantage of tax savings in 2016! Any Mortgage Interest, property taxes and points paid on your loan will be tax deductible for your 2016 tax return!

Sources:

Interest Rates, DFW on the Rise, First Time Homebuyer, Taxes

Until Next Time,

Rebekah