Real Estate LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
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Realtor Revealed Dee Patrick
GRI
WestMark Realtors 806/787-2210 dpatrick@westmarkrealtors.com Where did you grow up? I was born and raised here in Lubbock. Why do you live in the Lubbock area? What do you like most about it? I never had the occasion to leave Lubbock and am so glad I didn’t. Lubbock is my home, where my family is and where I have a history. I have been many places and never met the kind of people you find here. How long have you worked in real estate? I got my license in 1986, and when my youngest son was born in 1989, I took a 12 year leave. I started back 10 years ago. What did you do before that? Before that I was a stay-athome mom. During my time away from the real estate world, I worked in the air freight industry. What is your specialty? I specialize in residential sales and I enjoy working with both buyers and sellers. What are the most gratifying and most challenging
condition possible. Your agent should be able to guide you through this stage too. What do you see in the future for real estate sales? I think that real estate in this area fared well through the ups and downs the rest of the country experienced. It seems like any problems we had over the past couple of years have begun to correct themselves. Lubbock has always been a steady market and I believe it will continue to be. What is the most interesting place you have ever been? The most interesting place I have visited is... I can’t choose! It is a toss-up between San Francisco and New Orleans. Both places are beautiful and are full of places to explore.
aspects of what you do? I love helping people reach their goals, whether it is to sell a home and move up or to find their first home or their ultimate dream home. The challenge involved is the problem solving and I love that aspect of it. There is always an answer and I love finding it! Why should someone choose you as their real estate agent? I am a full-time Realtor so I am involved in this everyday. I take pride in keeping up with continuing education, the market, housing trends, as well as the ever-changing laws. I always feel a connection with my clients and get to know them so that I know their likes and dislikes, their motivation and usually their families. I feel people want a Realtor for life and that is what I want to be. What is the most unique property you’ve listed or sold? In some way, every home is unique. If you can find out what the seller felt was special when they purchased the home you will likely be able to market that “special”
Dee Patrick, WestMark Realtors aspect of the home as well. What tips do you have for someone looking to buy or sell a home? The first step to buying a home is finding an agent that you feel comfortable with and let them guide you and
Photo by Misty Setzler
help you through the process. The agent is putting your best interest first and has the knowledge and expertise to make the process a pleasurable experience. The first thing when selling is to declutter, clean up, repair and get your home in the best
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? Spending time with friends and family. I enjoy working around my house and yard as well. What local organizations and charities are you involved in? I am a member of the National, Texas and Lubbock Associations of Realtors, and enjoy working with The American Diabetes Association.
SCAN ME!
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Lubbock Association of Realtors
Make your home search your own BY Debora Perez Ruiz, President Lubbock Association of REALTORS®
When the people in your life hear that you’re house hunting, you can expect to get an earful of advice based on their experiences. However, you’ll quickly find that everyone’s buying experience is different because everyone has different needs. Good Intentions Don’t Always Make for Good Advice The home buying process can be overwhelming, especially for firsttime home buyers. And getting unsolicited advice from friends, family members or coworkers when you’re already encountering a deluge of information might not help ease your stress. Even though you appreciate the input, anything more than general advice may not apply to your situaRUIZ tion. Current market conditions affect your search and can vary within a few months’ time, so even if someone recently bought a home, things may differ in your situation. You’ll also find that the time of year and budget concerns make your search unique. The Web can be a Great Starting Place, but Don’t Stop There! Many real estate websites offer advice for homebuyers, but it’s best to take this information with a grain of salt. The advice can be outdated or irrelevant to your needs. And many sites publish advice that comes from others users – people like you who may not have professional real estate experience. If you register for these sites, you might be contacted by someone offering to help, but you still don’t know if his guidance is better than your friends’ or if he’s even familiar with the area. You aren’t obligated to work with a real estate agent until you sign a representation agreement, so feel free to do some research on agents before you begin to work with one. Ask for references and what kind of experience they have. Leave it to the Experts The best impartial advice you can get will come from your Lubbock Realtor. Your Realtor understands the local market and is working on your behalf to find the home that fits your needs, wants and budget. You may not feel comfortable discussing your finances or concerns with friends, family members, or coworkers, but you can be assured that your Lubbock Realtor is a professional and that you have the same goal in mind: finding you the home of your dreams. Which leads to me to my advice for homebuyers, especially first-timers: be prepared to give updates, because even though this is your home, the people around you will be excited to share in the experience. For more information about buying and selling real estate in Texas, I invite you to visit LubbockRealtors.com and TexasRealEstate.com. These sites have tools available to homebuyers including a residential listings search and the option to save properties that interest you.
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2012 outdoor living trends can easily update your patio or deck (ARA) – More homeowners want their outdoor space to truly be an extension of their house and are taking steps to create an inviting area to relax, play and host guests. If you want to update your deck or patio for warm weather entertaining, you don’t have to spend a lot of time or money. You can easily refresh the items you already have and add new stylish elements by keeping some top trends and design ideas in mind. Consider these tips from the design experts at Lowe’s to help transform your space into a welcoming outdoor oasis. With just a few easy outdoor home improvement changes, you’ll have the best patio on the block. Mix Functional Furniture The line between indoor and outdoor design is blurring. You can coordinate the style of adjacent indoor and outdoor rooms, since you and your guests will likely spend time in both. No matter if you have a large outdoor deck or a simple small patio, many affordable, stylish outdoor furniture options are available from allen + roth®. Set up furniture with flow in mind, grouping pieces together to encourage comfort, conversation and a view of nature. Add Colorful Accessories Incorporating rugs, outdoor pillows, candles and other accessories in vivid colors or fun patterns can really make your outdoor space come alive. Pick three to four colors for your scheme and stick with those colors throughout your design choices. Some of the season’s top hues include rich reds, vivid blues, soothing neutrals and gardeninspired greens. Metal accents are popular as well, so look for decor with gold or silver detailing for a design that’s modern with a tropical flare. Grow An Herb Garden There’s nothing that adds the flavors of summer to food like fresh herbs. One of today’s top trends is to have a container garden so you always have your favorite herbs on hand to freshly pick. Popular herbs that are easy to grow include basil, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel and mint. When planting, use containers that complement your outdoor design. Vintage styles that feature aged patinas are very popular this year. Incorporate A Fire Pit An outdoor bonfire likely evokes pleasant memories of the past, so incorporate a fire pit into your patio space so your whole family can enjoy time together roasting marshmallows, telling stories and gazing at the stars.
The line between indoor and outdoor design is blurring. You can coordinate the style of adjacent indoor and outdoor rooms, since you and your guests will likely spend time in both
Today’s fire pits are both stylish and useful, adding a cozy ambiance while warding off the chill on cooler nights. Plus when the seasons do change and fall brings with it lower temperatures, you can still enjoy the beautiful outdoor space you’ve created because you’ll be comfortably warm. Remember to look for options that have a removable screen, so you can open when needed for cooking and then close to keep the fire safely contained. Create Privacy Just because you’re outdoors doesn’t mean that you don’t want a bit of privacy from neighbors or passersby. The good news is it’s easy to create boundaries to your space by using a pergola or outdoor curtains. These options tie in nicely with other outdoor design trends and can give just the
right amount of privacy, creating your own outdoor “room” in which to enjoy the long, sunny days. Light The Night Lighting can really make your outdoor space come alive once the sun goes down. Add depth and intrigue by “lightscaping” from different sources. Consider putting up string lights that provide a magical setting that is sure to dazzle guests long after darkness falls. Add an intimate wall lantern next to the patio door or eco-friendly LED garden and path lights to add a soft illumination to outdoor space. To organize ideas and keep track of outdoor projects, create a profile at www.lowes.com/MyLowes. Develop and store your wish list in to help transform your patio from drab to stylish.
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Future of U.S. housing markets depends largely on Echo Boomers WASHINGTON – The next two decades in housing markets depends largely on the Echo Boomers. That’s according to panelists at the “Shifting Demographics and Housing Choice: A Whole New World?” session held during the Realtors® 2012 Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, D.C. There are approximately 62 million echo boomers in the U.S. Also called “millennials,” echo boomers are currently ages 17-31. According to the 2011 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, younger home buyers – those ages 18-34 – represent 31 percent of all recent home purchases. “We know that al- Veissi though many young people may be delaying home purchases in today’s economic climate, most of them still aspire to homeownership,” said NAR President Moe Veissi, broker-owner of Veissi & Associates Inc., in Miami. “Realtors® are committed to ensuring that the dream of ho- YUN meownership can become a reality for generations of Americans to come.” During the session, economists NAR, the University of Washington, and Florida State University presented various research and data that illustrate the future of homeownership from a generational standpoint. “Demography is destiny,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “In that vein, demographics can provide very useful insights into the future of housing and homeownership, and the results of these reports indicate that certain generational shifts will have a significant impact on the real estate industry over the next two decades.” NAR Economist Selma Hepp identified several key demographic trends on both ends of the housing age spectrum. The demand for affordable, accessible housing will increase as the 65-and-over population
grows; at the same time, as seniors leave their homes and move into assisted living and other arrangements, they will add to the current supply of housing. Because of their sheer size, however, echo boomers will significantly impact the next two decades in housing. “Echo boomers represent a long-term opportunity for a housing market recovery, but they are struggling in the current economic crisis,” said NAR’s Selma Hepp. “Consequently, demand for rental housing is likely to climb in the near term.” As a group, the echo boomers are more racially and ethnically diverse than their baby boomer parents. While 65 percent of baby boomers are Caucasian, only 55 percent of echo boomers are Caucasian. Echo boomers are also more likely to be college educated than previous generations, and are remaining single longer. Glenn E. Crenlin from the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Washington shared his insights into recent declines in homeownership and whether those declines indicate possible generational trends. “It is worrying that the homeownership rate for those under 35 has fallen more sharply than the rate for older Americans,” said Crenlin. “But I think we need to examine homeownership rates by generation in a more balanced way. Although the Millennial generation does not own homes at the same percentages of those in other generations, many of them are still in the early stages of household formation – in fact, some of them are still in high school.” Crenlin presented data from the American Community Survey that shows a significant increase in homeownership among millennials when compared to baby boomers at the same age. While 900,000 households in the millennial generation own their own home, only 500,000 baby boomer households owned their own homes at the same point in their lives. “Given these data, what we’re looking at in terms of the millennial generation is likely only a delay in homeownership of three to five years, not a long-term trend away from homeownership itself,” said Crenlin. The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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Featured Floorplan – Mike Thoma Construction
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108 Ironton Avenue – The Trails The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in cooperation with the West Texas Home Builder’s Association sponsors this week’s Featured Home built by Mike Thoma Construction, one of Lubbock’s only Certified Energy Star Builders, at 9108 Ironton Avenue in one of Lubbock’s most popular and innovatively designed subdivisions, The Trails. Upon entering this 4/4/3 home you will be impressed with the 16 foot tall entry with groin ceiling that looks back out onto the extra deep south facing porch, which is plumbed for an outdoor kitchen. This patio has all of the elements present to entertain outdoors all year round. The front entry with its impressive iron and glass clad door is to the right side of the tiled and wood grain floored dining room. Looking into the family room, you will note the large floor-to-ceiling windows and doors that overlook the lavishly landscaped backyard area with a 7-foot privacy fence. You will be awed by the airy feel of these rooms which are bathed in natural lighting. On your right you will note a large breakfast area and the kitchen with a massive granite topped island and bar framing the elaborately equipped gourmet demonstration style kitchen with beautiful natural granite countertops and faux finish furniture grade cabinets. Also note the latest KitchenAid Stainless Appliances with gas cooktop and double ovens that will delight the chef in your family. Off to the left of the front entry are two bedroom suites, each with their own bathroom artfully adorned with mosaic tile work. The utility room comes with extra storage and a wonderful counter built for the storage and use of small kitchen appliances. Going through the grandiose family room you will note the elaborate wood fireplace with faux painted mantel along with the smartly designed wall with niches and custom framed high definition television. Past the family room and the elaborate groin ceiling hallway, you will arrive at the massive master bedroom suite with tall coffered ceilings, an ornate leaf blade fan, tall windows and glass door to the patio area. The palatial master bath is equipped with quality furniture grade cabinets, cus-
tom framed mirrors, an extravagantly tiled walk-through shower and very large “L-shaped” master closet with wood-lined partitions, cabinets and shelving designed for the ultimate in organization. The finished 3-car garage has “Rock Solid Flooring,” and this house comes equipped with security system and automatic garage door openers. The tremendous split level basement with 10 foot ceilings is wired for a high definition projection system for the ultimate experience in home theater entertainment. On the first level you will find two bar areas that will make this basement setting the utmost for entertaining friends and family. As if it was not enough to have such an elegant and uniquely designed home, these “Energy Star” Homes built by Mike Thoma Construction are rigorously tested and certified by the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that you get the best possible product according to their very strict standards using at least 30 percent less energy than a standard new home. These homes are not only built with Foam Insulation throughout, zoned heating and air conditioning, and Argon gas filled windows, there are a vast number of other cutting edge ideas designed to make this home incomparable in energy efficiency. What many people are saying is true. When you get a Mike Thoma Construction Home you are not only getting a home built with unparalleled quality and equipped with the latest technology, but also a home that is one-of-a-kind, designed and lovingly built by a variety of talented artists from the plumbing rough in to the last roofing tile laid on the home. Come see this 3,598 square foot home competitively priced at $449,950. This home and several others will be open this weekend. “We know you will want to make this dream home in this very popular upscale community your very own… AND you will be quite pleasantly surprised to find how financially in reach this dream can be. We also have a trade-in program for your existing home. Call (806) 535-8834 today for details!”
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