June 2011 Lubbock Connection

The Diamond Group Lubbock Connection

June 2011

‘A Cut Above The Rest’

A Note from Elizabeth Welcome to the wonderful world of houses, where your agent does mat-ter. When you are ready to buy or sell a home it is important that you work with someone that has extensive market knowledge, knows the numbers and excels in customer service. Exciting news! Interest rates are still under 5%.........can’t think of a better time to buy or sell! Ready to downsize, Ready to upscale.......Call me.........I Care! Remember, I can’t help you with what you think I might do; call me and let’s discuss your situation, I do care and I can help!

Call today: (806) 771-HOME (4663) Elizabeth

Standard MailU.S. Postage PaidPERMIT NO. 10

Wolfforth, TX

The Diamond Group Keller Williams Realty4747 S. Loop 289 Suite 110Lubbock, Texas 79424

806.771.HOME (4663)[email protected]

www.ringthediamonds.com

Connect with The Diamond Group online @ Active Rain, FaceBook & Twitter

The Diamond Group @ Keller Williams Realty

4747 S. Loop 289 Suite 110 Lubbock, Texas 79424

806.771.HOME (4663)

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.ringthediamonds.comTotal Market Overview

Residential and Single Family with AcreageYear to Date as of May 31, 2011

Numbers pulled from Navica 6/6/2011Lubbock Association of REALTORS

86 4.52 47 36 3 36 9 44 19 63 92 $29,468 91.41% 103

436 4.68 90 312 34 110 17 117 93 238 324 $76,959 95.50% 117

465 5.60 19 399 47 143 23 122 83 220 334 $119,446 96.63% 110

267 5.56 16 154 97 55 11 63 48 120 157 $168,751 96.73% 116

122 6.77 6 58 58 25 5 27 18 52 71 $217,812 96.99% 123

93 6.64 2 39 52 19 1 19 14 34 47 $269,115 96.48% 140

134 14.88 3 40 91 19 5 31 9 24 37 $331,039 95.45% 155

79 15.80 1 11 67 6 3 19 5 9 15 $426,660 95.64% 142

31 5.16 N/A 5 26 4 1 4 6 11 11 $504,139 88.83% 167

23 N/A 2 5 16 3 N/A 4 N/A N/A 1 $648,000 100% 119

17 N/A N/A 3 14 1 N/A 2 N/A 2 3 $730,000 95.80% 174

7 N/A N/A N/A 7 1 N/A 1 N/A N/A 1 $820,000 100% 2

5 N/A N/A 1 4 N/A N/A 3 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

10 N/A N/A N/A 10 N/A N/A 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

$13.29 Million DOM Average – 109

Units Sold in May – 88

Units Sold YTD – 291

Agents Producing – 34












Agents Producing – 24 May 2

011 N

um

bers

–S

ourc

e: N

avic

aM

LS

Lubbock

Dear Reader,There are many reasons to choose Keller Williams Realty, and especially The Diamond Group; whether you need to buy, sell, or invest in Real Estate. We have a wonderful residential department and also KW com-mercial to serve all of your Real Estate needs. We are very proud to be with Keller Williams Realty and want you to know we are here to serve your Real Estate needs. In a Real Estate climate that is often negative, we at Keller Williams still strive to be positive and serve our clients. We believe that the glass is half full and not half empty. While other agencies are losing market share, Keller Williams is taking leadership and market dominance to a new level! Remember that Actions lead to RESULTS!Best RegardsElizabeth The below information is taken directly from the Lubbock Multiple Listing Service for the month ending May 31, 2011.

The Diamond Group Current ListingsListen to recorded property information by calling

1.888.295.9686 & enter property code #

2030 63rd StreetLubbock, Texas 79412

3/2/CarportApprox. 1374 Sq. Ft.

$64,900Property Code # 6187

5422 32nd StreetLubbock, Texas 79424

3/2/2Approx. 1603 Sq. Ft.


4806 17th StreetLubbock, Texas 79416






UNDER CONTRACT




4720 22nd StreetLubbock, Texas 79407

4/4.4/3Approx. 4334 Sq. Ft.


4637 Itasca StreetLubbock, Texas 79416



2503 43rd StreetLubbock, Texas 79413

2/2/2-carportGetting Measured.


www.ringthediamonds.com

We can make things happen when selling your home too.OR IF YOU KNOW

someone that needs to sell or buy, have them call me today and I will be glad to do a Market Analysis for them and give them the right information and do the right marketing to sell their house!

Call Elizabeth 806-771-HOME(4663)

Sold in 2011!8513 Kenosha Ave 2418 32nd Street

6202 101 Place 2111 23rd Street6336 10th Street 4414 10th Street2512 Loyola Ave 8707 10th Street

6508 87th Street 8423 CR 64303706 37th Street 3415 68th Drive

2809 78th Street Wrap it up and call it SOLD with

The Diamond Group!!List your home today !!

806.771.HOME (4663)

Call The Diamond Group today and list your home!806-771-HOME (4663)

Keep Your Home Safe While You’re on Summer Vacation

Since summer time is popular for family vacations, many bur-glars take advantage of this time to scope out and break into homes that are unoccupied. Here are a few things you can do to protect your home while you are on vacation.House Sitter: A house sitter is one of the best protections against break-ins. This person should be a trusted neighbor, relative or friend of the family who can call the police if something happens.

To help your house sitter or the person checking on your home, make a list of things about your home, such as where the power boxes are, where the water lines are and other impor-tant details. You could also make a list of other people that would be able to help with the house sitting, just in case one person can’t cover all the responsibilities, like feeding pets and watering plants.

Alarm System: An alarm system for your home is an excellent deterrent to prevent a rob-bery. Studies have even shown that inactive security cameras that are visible to prowlers will deter a break-in. If you set an alarm before going on vacation, inform anyone who has access to your home you don’t want it accidentally going off!

Mail and Newspaper: Remember to call your newspaper service to put your newspapers on hold until you return. Most newspaper services will happily oblige. Also, contact the post

be setup two weeks before the date you want it to start. An alternative is to have a friend col-lect the papers and mail each day.

Other Precautions: According to experts, the best measure of protection is making it look as if you are still at home. Some simple solutions are to put a motion detector on the outdoor lights and a timer on the TV and indoor lights, turning them on during eve-ning hours and making your home look occupied.(Taken from City Bank Mortgage News)

The Diamond Group: Preferred Vendors Call them today for superior service

Service Title Company4101 B 84th Street

Lubbock, Texas 79423806.794.9966

Ground-UP InspectionsTREC # 7046806.438.5974

[email protected] hr. 7 day service

My Promise to You.Inspected once,

Inspected RIGHT.

Great Service for more than 50 years

MGS Mobile Wash 806.778.2602Special! Special!

$15.00 Wash w/ Tire Shine$25.00 Wash ‘N’ Vacuum$30.00 DetailSee ad for more details!!

Design By Roo

[email protected]

www.designbyroo.com

How are you reaching people?Want to be in the Lubbock Connection, on countless web-sites viewed by Realtors and consumers as well as be the

main reference point for all our business? Call Elizabeth for more information: 806.535.3377

Hometrust MortgageService * Integrity * Trust

www.hubcityhomeloans.com

Hometrust MortgageService * Integrity * Trust

www.hubcityhomeloans.com

Sandra ScottCell: [email protected]

Sandra ScottCell: [email protected] S.W.A.T Pest Control

Todd & Heather Vaughn

Cell: 806.441.0302Fax: 806.748.8002

Western Title Company4202 84th Street

Lubbock, Texas 79424806.793.0704Fax: 806.795.9143

Oh by the way... If you know of someone who would appreciate my services, call me with their name and number,

and I will be happy to help them.

Michael BergFarmer’s Insurance

5811 64th ST Unit ALubbock, Texas 79424

Cell: [email protected]

www.farmersagent.com/berg1

Simply Clean806.577.1198

*References AvailableSpecializing in move-in/out

Vendor Spotlight of the month

Hello, This is an amazing time to buy Real Estate. Rates are at historical lows and prices are as well. Although no one can tell you when the "bottom" is until it starts going up, all of the economic in-dicators are suggesting that the economy is on the upswing. Whether you are wanting to purchase a primary residence, second home or investment property, now is the time to do it. Please call me for a free Mortgage

are looking to move up or downsize or buy investment or a second home property.

Thanks, Sandra Scott

Meet The Diamond Group

Elizabeth loves her career! She has consistently been a multi- million dollar producer and looks forward to working with you whether you have a small or unlimited budget. It’s your hard earned money, and we need to spend it well. She is an active member of the National Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, and Lubbock Association of Re-altors. She has sat on many committees and especially enjoys teaching and learning about new and innovative methods to be a better businesswoman. She is committed to keeping herself

fully educated on top of the line technology for her profession. Her designa-tions place her within a small percentage of REALTORS® nationwide. Elizabeth is married to Roger and has a wonderful son, Alain. Alain is an engineering student at Texas Tech University and is a proud Red Raider. In her spare time, Elizabeth likes to read and study Genealogy. You

owes her community a payback for allowing her to be a successful busi-nesswoman. She is a member of The West Texas Museum Association and enjoys helping children achieve through the arts and sciences. Elizabeth is a self-starter, trustworthy, results-oriented, optimistic, competitive and innovative. She is a negotiator, problem solver, dedicated, sociable respected and says: “I want to be YOUR REALTOR® “.

Meet Amy! Amy has worked as The Diamond Group’s committed Marketing & Administrative Assistant for almost 2 years. Amy enjoys gaining experience and working for the best in the Real Estate Industry! Amy’s enthusiasm and energy in life carry over into the workplace. Amy loves people and is eager to serve the needs of potential clients. She knows the value of teamwork and shared ideas. Amy is hard-working and passionate about her work and her relation-ships with people. Spending time with her family and friends and learning new things are what she likes to do in her spare time. In addi-tion to being active in her church, Amy is pursuing a degree in Design Communications with an Art Specialization at South Plains College.

www.ringthediamonds.com806.771.HOME (4663)

If you know of someone who would appreciate my services, please call me with their name and number

and I will be happy to help them!

What's New in Kitchen Design?Kitchen renovations are costly. If you're undertaking a kitchen remodel, make sure you spend your money wisely. The National Kitchen & Bath Associa-tion surveyed 100 designers to discover the top kitchen design trends of 2011. Here's a guideline of where to splurge and where to save.Chill: French door fridges are more popular now than ever before; NKBA designers installed them in 78 percent of their kitchen renovations. Freezer-top fridges are all but extinct; if French door fridges don't work in your space, freezer-bottom and side-by-side units are better options. Wine fridges, meanwhile, are losing popularity. Instead of spending your budget on a wine fridge, incorporate simple wine racks into your cabinets.

Cook: Space is valuable, even when it comes to ovens. The demand for double-wall ovens rose, while the demand for single-wall ovens dropped. Gas cooktops still reign supreme in the kitchen, but electric and induction are increasing in popularity. Ranges, meanwhile, seem to be falling out of favor,

Cabinets: Traditional-style cabinetry is timeless, explaining its appeal. And while it remains the most popular door style, some designers are turning to more modern styles, like Shaker and contemporary. As for colors, dark cabinetry is a designer favorite. Medium-natural, glazed, and white-painted

-

(Taken from City Bank Mortgage News)

Mortgage Insurance Cancellation: The Myths and Realities

By Brien McMahon rismedia.comRISMedia, June 3, 2011—When it comes to private mortgage insurance (MI), there are several myths that exist that make buyers reluctant to consider a conventional loan with MI as an option when purchasing a home. One of the

-tion time-consuming—process.

The irony is that the majority of buyers don’t harbor those same beliefs or reservations about an FHA insured loan when, in reality, FHA coverage may be less easily cancelled, or take longer to cancel, than MI.

HPA Makes Cancellation ClearerWhen it went into effect as a new federal law, the Homeowners Protection Act (HPA) of 1998—which applies to both FHA and MI insured loans—required lenders and servicers to provide disclosures regarding MI for residential loans obtained on or after July 29, 1999. Prior to this, consumers were responsible for requesting MI cancellation if they met two factors: one, their loan balance was paid down to 80 percent of the property; and two, they had a good pay-ment history.While many lenders obliged consumer requests to drop MI coverage, consum-ers had sole responsibility for keeping track of their loan balance.The HPA established three different times when a lender or servicer must notify consumers of their rights.

At loan closing, lenders must disclose:

can be made

which this will occur

Each year, loan servicers must send borrowers a written statement that dis-closes:

-termining when MI may be cancelled

to borrowers stating:

Termination of CoverageUnder the terms of the HPA, mortgage lenders or servicers must automatically cancel borrower-paid MI coverage when the mortgage has amortized to 78 percent of the original property value, with all unearned premiums returned to the borrower within 45 days of the cancellation or termination date. This provision also requires that the borrower be current on mortgage payments required by the terms of the loan, and if the loan is delinquent on the date of automatic termination, a lender must terminate the coverage as soon as the loan becomes current.

Mortgage Insurance Cancellation: The Myths and Realities continued...

Cancellation of CoverageAlso under the HPA, a homeowner has the right to request MI cancellation when the mortgage balance reaches 80 percent of the original property value. All payments must be current, meaning a homeowner must not be 30 days late on a mortgage payment within one year of their request, or 60 days late within two years.However, a borrower can only initiate a cancellation request for FHA based on their prepayment of the loan, and even then, it can only be requested be-

With MI, homeowners can request cancellation based on prepayment of the loan, as well as an appraisal. Despite falling property values, it’s possible for homeowners to gain enough equity in their home to request cancellation in

Why This Matters to AgentsBy understanding these rules and what they mean for homeowners, real estate agents can educate their buyers to help them better evaluate all of their

This is even more important considering the FHA’s recent price increase, which has reduced buyers’ purchasing power and increased monthly mort-gage payments.

Documents

June 2011 Lubbock Connection