By Tom Branch, on May 27th, 2012 ![633MossycupOakDrive-Plano-TX-SMALL-002](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/633MossycupOakDrive-Plano-TX-SMALL-002-300x199.jpg)
5 Bedrooms | 3.1 Baths | 3 Car Garage | 4215 SF/Tax | Pool
Updated home with sparking pool in golf community. Extensive hardwoods and crown molding. Island kitchen has Silestone counters, tile back splash, and smooth cook-top. Plumbed for gas in kitchen and laundry. Huge master with staircase to private living area above. Master bath has garden tub, separate shower, and dual sinks. All bedrooms are oversized with walk- in closets. Back yard oasis with covered patio and pool is perfect for entertaining.
Click here for more details, photos, virtual tour, status, and pricing on this Plano TX Home For Sale.
![633-mossycup-oak-video](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/633-mossycup-oak-video.jpg)
Click here to see all homes for sale in Plano TX.
Contact us at 214-705-2470 for more information or to schedule a showing.
![Tom and Gina Signatures](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Tom-and-Gina-Signatures.gif)
Photos Copyright 2012 – Lance Selgo
By Tom Branch, on May 20th, 2012 ![5604-rowlett-creek 5604 Rowlett Creek](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/5604-rowlett-creek-300x199.jpg)
2 Bedrooms | 2 Baths | 2 Car Garage | 1734 SF/Builder
Luxury low-maintenance living in single story townhome. Popular Julia floor plan with huge expanded master suite. Upgraded paint color, Knotty Alder stained cabinets in kitchen, stainless steel appliances including double ovens. Hardwood floors, upgraded ceramic tile, and 8ft. doors throughout. Enjoy the many amenities of Craig Ranch!
Click here for more details, photos, virtual tour, status, and pricing on this McKinney TX Townhome For Sale.
Click here to see all townhomes for sale in McKinney TX.
Contact us at 214-705-2470 for more information or to schedule a showing.
![Tom and Gina Signatures](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Tom-and-Gina-Signatures.gif)
Photo Copyright 2011 Imaged2Sell
New Home Rebate
Purchase a new home through us and we'll help you with your closing costs! We'll give you a credit of 1.5% of the price of the home at closing to use towards your closing costs.
Click here for our New Home Rebates page.
By Gina Branch, on May 11th, 2012 ![lawler-park](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/lawler-park-199x300.jpg)
Southeast Frisco is booming with new home construction! Just north of Richwoods sits 143 prime acres soon to be Lawler Park. This community is just a few miles north of HWY 121 between Independence Pkwy and Coit Rd.
Currently there are two highly respected new home builders slated to build in Lawler Park – Highland Homes and Darling Homes. Lot sizes vary and prices will range from the $400s to the $700s. Once built out, Lawler Park will be home to around 348 families.
Within Lawler Park will be two distinct sections – The Arbors at Lawler Park and The Crossing at Lawler Park. The Arbors will feature patio/zero lot line homes starting at roughly 2,440 square feet. The Crossing will have front entry homes beginning at just over 2,900 square feet. Both sections will be zoned to Exemplary Frisco ISD.
The model homes at Lawler Park should be ready in October, 2012. However, we can help you select your dream home site now! This premier location is close to shopping at Stonebriar Mall, the Allen Outlet Mall, and The Shops at Fairview. Numerous restaurants and entertainment venues are also close by.
![Gina Signature](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Gna-Signature.jpg)
Photo Copyright 2012 Imaged2Sell
New Home Rebate
Purchase a new home through us and we'll help you with your closing costs! We'll give you a credit of 1.5% of the price of the home at closing to use towards your closing costs.
Click here for our New Home Rebates page.
By Tom Branch, on May 5th, 2012 I received an email from a client this evening. It read, “My AC is leaking!”
It’s that time of year in Texas. We’ve had temperatures into the low 90’s and people are firing up their air conditioning systems for the first time. Some people never notice the water dripping from a pipe that exits over a window while other people think it is normal. I’ve ever seen one where the owner placed a large potted plant under the drip! Why waste water?
It’s not normal! If you see water dripping, most likely your primary AC drain is plugged.
![basic-hvac-plumbing Basic HVAC Plumbing](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/basic-hvac-plumbing-300x225.jpg)
The water produced by the AC normally drains into the primary drain that is attached to the home’s plumbing. At the end of last season there was water in the trap that dried out leaving mold, lint, and other residue that clogs the trap. When that happens, the water overflows into the Overflow Pan and runs out through the overflow drain which usually exits the home over a window.
Don’t panic! It’s easy to fix.
Pour a little chlorine beach into the primary drain (the cap on the top of the drain comes off), let it sit for a few minutes, and then wash it down with plenty of clean water. This usually clears out the trap and everything is fine again.
If this does not clear the clog or you’re not comfortable with this process, you should call an HVAC technician who can repair it for you.
![Tom Branch, Broker](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/tom-sig.jpg)
Photo Copyright 2012 Imaged2Sell
By Tom Branch, on April 30th, 2012 ![door-knocker Door Knocker](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/iStock_000006975278XSmall-150x150.jpg)
I received a call this evening from one of my sellers. A potential buyer had showed up at her home, rang the doorbell, and asked to see the home. While this raised red flags for her, she let him into her home and showed him around.
The good news is that nothing happened.
It’s one thing to allow an agent with a keycard and who has scheduled an appointment into your home, but allowing a stranger off the street to do so could be a recipe for disaster.
Buyers off the street should always be referred to your agent. Agents generally qualify potential buyers before showing homes to them. This process tends to weed out unqualified or “buyers” with other motives.
Sellers, I know you want to sell your home, but please do not forfeit your safety in the process.
![Tom Branch, Broker](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/tom-sig.jpg)
Photo licensed from iStockPhoto
By Gina Branch, on April 30th, 2012 ![sorano-frisco-tx Sorano Estates Frisco Texas](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sorano-frisco-tx.jpg)
If you’re looking for a NEW home in exemplary Frisco ISD, you might want to check out Sorano Estates. After you pass through the grand entrance, you’ll discover large home sites nestled along winding streets with cul-de-sacs.
First Texas Homes offers 11 luxury home designs in Sorano Estates, all Energy Star Certified, and starting in the $280s. Families will enjoy the parks within the neighborhood and the peaceful atmosphere of a smaller community.
Location is a big plus for Sorano Estates, situated just three miles north of Highway 121 on Independence. This prime location is close to three golf courses, retail, restaurants, and entertainment. There are a few homes already available, and building lots are going fast. Now’s the time to pick your perfect home site before they’re all gone!
Click here to view all homes for sale in Sorano Estates, Frisco, Texas.
Click here to search all homes for sale in Frisco, TX.
![Tom and Gina Signatures](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Tom-and-Gina-Signatures.gif)
Photo Copyright 2012 Imaged2Sell
New Home Rebate
Purchase a new home through us and we'll help you with your closing costs! We'll give you a credit of 1.5% of the price of the home at closing to use towards your closing costs.
Click here for our New Home Rebates page.
By Tom Branch, on April 30th, 2012 You may think Short Sales were created in response to the housing market meltdown in 2007, but they have been around for years.
As Gina and I wrote in our book, The Field Guide to Short Sales, “They have not been widely used in the past for two reasons:
1. The lender could seek a deficiency judgment against the borrower for the amount of the loss. Laws vary from State to State, but the lender was able to garnish wages, engage a collection agency to collect the debt, or seek other legal relief.
2. The lender can elect to forgive all or a portion of the mortgage balance. However, until 2007, the amount forgiven became taxable income. The lender simply issued an IRS Form 1099 to the borrower. The tax implications were dramatic. If the lender forgave $100,000 and issued an IRS Form 1099 to the borrower for the same amount, the borrower potentially wound up owing the IRS tens of thousands of dollars depending on their tax rate.
The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act was a major piece of legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush. The Act offered relief to homeowners, who, after a Short Sale, owed taxes on the forgiven mortgage debt. This relief is great news! Most homeowners no longer have to pay taxes on that forgiven debt. The Act applied to debts forgiven between 2007 and 2009, but was extended through 2012 by the Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.”
Unless Congress takes action to extend the Act, the relief from paying Federal taxes on forgiven debt will expire on December 31, 2012. This could end up costing a distressed homeowner tens of thousands of dollars in Federal taxes.
If you are considering a Short Sale, you may want to get started quickly. Given the time it takes to get the sale approved and the buyer to close, time is quickly running out.
Want to talk to a real estate team with a proved track-record and knows how to get them done? Contact us at 214-227-6626 or visit our website at www.ntxshortsales.com.
![Tom Branch, Broker](http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/tom-sig.jpg)
Photo licensed from iStockPhoto
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