Good DFW housing news and a sweet poochie!

A Dallas Morning News article caught my eye while we were walking the Spaniels yesterday morning. So, we had Lucy pose for a pic by the news rack (did you even know that they still sell actual newsPAPERs)? Anyway, the headline: “Housing unusually hot for January”. The article says that D-FW sales jumped almost 25% from a year earlier with prices also on the rise.

Sounds like classic supply and demand to me. 🙂 Looks like we are in for a hoppin’ Spring season in the DFW housing market, huh?

Have a great week!

http://www.johnbrooks-realtor.com

P.S.  Here’s a link to the news article:  http://www.dallasnews.com/business/residential-real-estate/20130208-dallas-fort-worth-home-sales-hit-highest-mark-for-a-january-in-six-years.ece

Why in the world would anyone want to live in Dallas?

The amazing weather in Dallas yesterday prompted me to head out on an evening run with our Spaniels (Lucy and Swayze), from South Side to West End. We stopped to nab this pic along the way, thoroughly enjoying the near 70 degree January day!

I began thinking of the varied cultures, art, architecture, and of course, things to do here in Big D. For example, have you been to Klyde Warren Park yet? It’s an open-air urban park built over the top of Woodall Rogers Freeway, and it officially opened just a few weeks ago. On a super-nice day like today, you’ll find superb people-watching, art, green space, food trucks, an outdoor library, and even a small dog park! I highly recommend it.

So, why in the world would anyone want to live in Dallas? See above. 😉 Great people, weather, and, yes, lots of cool stuff to do!

What is your favorite attraction in Big D?

www.johnbrooks-realtor.com

Timeless wisdom from Mr. Zig Ziglar

Although I haven’t been a Zig devotee very long, I downloaded his latest book a few months ago and began to make my way slowly through the simple, but profound wisdom on each page. Since his memorial service is tomorrow (12/01/2012) in Plano, TX, I was just sitting here thinking about his amazing legacy!

In Born to Win, Mr. Ziglar talks about the “no pain no gain” aspect of exercising your brain and compared it to physical exercise. He outlines the importance of forcing yourself to think in ways that might be a bit uncomfortable. First, “…continually add new information that your brain can process.”  “The second objective in brain exercise is processing all of the new information you gain and applying it to your life.”

Do you find benefit from exercising both your body and your mind? I definitely do!

Zig’s legacy definitely lives on and I’m thankful that his body of work is available to enrich lives for generations.

www.johnbrooks-realtor.com

Curb appeal? Here’s a prime example.

I love our neighborhood.  There are many homeowners there who understand how curb appeal can really enhance the feel of the neighborhood and home resale values.  We enjoy taking our English Springer Spaniels for a run in the neighborhood, and when we do it’s so nice to see appealing homes like the one pictured above.  Since it’s currently on the market, there’s likely a little bit of extra focus on keeping the yard in top-notch shape (which is a very smart decision by the sellers).  Many studies have shown that home buyers often make their decision about a home within the first minute or two of entering the front door.  Of course the drive-up appeal can be a huge part of their first impression.

Have an awesome day!  Get outside and enjoy some of the great curb appeal in your neck of the woods…

www.johnbrookstherealtor.com

Dusting-off the ol’ cobwebs…

Springtime in Texas brings warmer (sometimes even hot) temperatures, seasonal allergies, some scary weeds in my backyard, and best of all, GREAT weather to get back into an outdoor exercise routine.  Whether it’s a walk around the block, a 5K run, some bicycling or even some tennis or golf, hopefully all of you out there have developed at least a “like” for an activity that energizes you and helps maintain good cardio health.

For me, it’s cycling and running, or as my wife likes to sometimes call it, “jogging”.  Actually, although I’m WAY too young to remember the era, I think that might be a term from the 1970’s conjuring up images of way too-short running shorts, some striped tube socks, and maybe even a cropped t-shirt with a big Nike swoosh on the front.  😉

Personally, I’m looking forward to a couple of my favorite Springtime running/cycling events, so please check them out – I’d love to see you there:

First, on Saturday, April 14th at Ridgmar Mall in Fort Worth is Race for the Cure.  Of course this is a great cause and is a very well-organized fun event.  You can walk, run or even “jog”.

Then, in cycling-land my Springtime favorite is Germanfest in Muenster, TX.  The ride is on Saturday, April 28th and typically features some “nice” challenging hills, beautiful countryside {with cows), and a bunch of strong winds.  Afterward, you join the in-progress Germanfestival (is that a word?), which is great, great, great fun!  By the way, Germanfest also features a run / walk event for you non-cyclists out there.

So, get out there and enjoy one of the best months of the year to be outdoors in Texas – I’m looking forward to seeing some of you at one of these events!  Tap me for additional info – it’d be great to hear from you…

www.JohnBrooksTheRealtor.com