2010 Flames of Hope Masquerade Ball on October 16 2010 Whenever there is fun, entertainment, good food, it is a plan for a successful fundraiser event.  This year Flames of Hope is doing a Masquerade Ball benefitting Crittenden County Families in Transition. The Flames of Hope Masquerade will be taken place at the Southland Gaming and Racing on October 16, 2010, Saturday from 6 pm to midnight. Costumes and masks not required, but it will be fun if you choose to do it the whole nine yards.  There will be a costume contest at the ball. Tickets are on sale now, and you can purchase them at the Marion and West Memphis Chambers of Commerce or Belle Candles in Marion.  They are $40 per ticket.  Ticket includes an Italian style dinner buffet, a drink for before dinner cocktail hour. Families i... 10/08/2010

You don't seem too excited to move in your new home from your old one, why is that?  You have been looking for a new place to buy since forever ago, and you finally found it, I thought you would be tickled to death. Ahh, okay, I got it, you have too much to pack, you don't know where to start, what to pack first and when should you start packing?  I am with you, they can be overwhelming when you only have a few days to pack the 10 years collections.  Well, I have a few pointers may be able to help you out a little bit. First thing first, you are moving to a new home, it is a great time to throw/give away the stuffs that you have not used for years or already broken but you never did throw away.  Yes, I know, those stuffs you have hidden way back in the closet so you won't see them.  But... 10/05/2010

It is great news that your house is sold in today's market and economy.  I am happy for you, too!  Before you can get the check at closing or move on to your next plan, you have a few things to do as a seller. It doesn't matter you are a seasoned seller with experience, or first time seller and get ready to buy your second home.  This list applies to all sellers in a typical transaction. There is always exception in everything, make sure you know what you need to do, talk to your agent and let him/her to walk you through.   In order to get to closing, it takes the whole team to work together.  It is not magic, it takes co-operation from everyone to make it happen.  Are you willing to be a good teammate? Yes?  I thought you will say yes.  I am glad to hear that. Let's look at the list be... 10/01/2010

Buying a house is an exciting journey, from finding the house you want, to get it under contract.  It is time to take a few more steps to get to the closing table and call it your new home. Especially if you are a first time buyer, everything is new to you, these steps can give you a heads up and more prepared before closing.  It may help you to close as smooth as possible. Even if you bought before, maybe it was a long time ago when you bought your last house.  Regulations have changed since then, this reminder is going to help you to refresh some memories and catch up with the new changes.  These are typical steps before closing, it depends on the types and details of finance you choose, it may vary from case to case. It is just a few more things need to be done, and you are on the wa... 09/30/2010

New homes are still building at RiverWest Estates in Marion, Ar                                     RiverWest Estates is located on Mound City Road, not far from River Trace Subdivision.  It is a newer subdivision in Marion, it started over 3 years ago.  There were only a handful of houses at the beginning, but words spreaded out quickly about RiverWest Estates, it became one of the nicest and popular subdivision for many to call home. I remember this is where I spent many many hours doing open house when I first started doing real estate.  I know almost everyone who lives in RiverWest Estates, and the neighbors know who I am also.  I also sold a few houses in River West Estates to my clients who call it their new home. I literally "grow up" with RiverWest Estates together.  These beaut... 09/28/2010

Did you go to the 1st Italian Festival in Marion, Ar.?                                                           I was so looking forward to the 1st Italian Festival in Marion, Ar. ever since I  wrote 1st Annual Italian Festival in Marion, Ar. to benefit Families in Transition on September 25, 2010 and finally the day came!  I went there at 11:30, time for lunch, and I was not disappointed.  If you missed it , you have missed some good Italian home cooked goodies.   Home made Italian spaghetti sauce over meatball spaghetti, only $3!!!  They gave you a lot and my daughters had to wrap the rest up and took it home to eat later that day. The fried bread you saw on the plate was from another Italian family.  They made their own dough, and fried them when you ordered them.  It was so fluffy,... 09/27/2010

 Trying to sell your house?  How much are you asking for?   After a long hard working day, you are so tired that you just kick back and relax when you are in your own castle.   To you, it is a piece of art after all the sweat equity you put in it.  It has got to worth something?  Right? Right!  But how much?  Do you know?  I am guessing you have a good figure of amount in your mind how much you want for your castle.  Do you think it is priced as the market can support it?  How do you know if a buyer will like your house or not?  Do you think people will love your taste of decoration?  You know, that green and purple wall you adore everyday when you come home.  It took you 2 weekends to do that wall.  Yes, that wall!  Ahhhh....... How do you find the answers for these questions?  Easy!  ... 09/17/2010

Open House on 9/18/2010 Saturday 2-4 pm at 482 JE Clark, Marion, Ar. This cute lovely home sits on             482 JE Clark in Marion, Ar, listing at $110,000. There is 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, over 1,100 square feet.  Your children can walk to school from home when you become the new owner of 482 JE Clark. Tiled floor in the eat-in kitchen with an island, open space to the high ceiling living room.  The house is all electrical.                     Ask me how to get this cutie with Zero Down Payment.  If you are paying more than $800 a month for rent, the note of this house could possibly be cheaper than your rent.    Come to the Open House this Saturday and see it for yourself.      09/14/2010

Open House Sunday 9/12/10 from 2-4 pm at 320 Trigg, RIver Trace, Marion, Ar. Another River Trace home under $200,000!      Come and check out this 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, over 2,000 square feet 2 stories home. You don't want carpet?  You got it!  There is no carpet in this house, it is all hardwood and tile floor!  There is a screened porch at the back, fenced backyard also.              See You this Sunday at 320 Trigg!               09/09/2010

Open House on 9/12/2010, Sunday from 2-4 PM at 333 Geelan, River Trace, Marion, Ar. Priced under $200,000 in River Trace! Houses in River Trace average listed over $260,000.  This is a rare find in well sought River Trace under $200,000.           This lovely home consists of 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, over 2,000 square feet, an acre of land, wireless security system, surround sound, big eat in kitchen.  All rooms are spacious.                 With a big backyard, owner will even leave the riding lawn mower to the next owner!  Come and see me at 333 Geelan this Sunday, 9/12/2010, from 2-4 pm. See you there!     09/09/2010

Open House on 9/11/2010 Saturday 2-4 pm at 493 Meredith Drive, Marion, Ar. This lovely home is ready for you to move in, priced at $119,900.  Other than its 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths, there is an extra room for storage.  Double driveway makes easy for your friends to come over to visit, no need to park by the road side.             The newly re-done kitchen with beautiful tile floor, it connects to the dining room with the patio door leads to the fenced backyard.             Ask me about the Zero Down Payment program!      Come and visit me at the Open House on 9/11/2010 from 2-4 pm at 493 Meredith Drive, Marion, Ar.       See you!           09/08/2010

Things you need to know before buying foreclosures Everyone loves to get a good deal in buying anything, it is not just real estate.  When you pay only a fraction of the sales price for something, don't you love to brag to others how cheap you get it for?  When it comes to buying real estate foreclosures, there are a few things you may need to pay attention before putting an offer: Can you do an inspection before putting an offer Will they let you use an inspection report as a contingency on the offer Have the utilities been cut off over an year Can the utilities be turned on for an inspection Can you get your earnest money back if the contract fails within reason, like unsatisfactory inspection report, if that is your contingency on the contract Most of the problems that you may run in... 09/02/2010

1st Annual Italian Festival in Marion, Ar. to benefit Families in Transition on September 25, 2010 I am so excited of our 1st Italian Festival in Marion, Ar on September 25, 2010 from 10am to 4pm.  This event is going to be located at 50 Block Street, Marion, Ar. in the parking lots of Jett-Fast Logistics and Belle Candles.  There is extra good reason to come and visit this 1st Italian Festival in Marion, Ar., because they are trying to raise money to help Families in Transition due to domestic violence. Booths are available from 10 x 10 for non food vendor for $25.00, and 10 x 20 for food vendor for $50.00.  On top of that there is an Italian cook off which includes the categories of Best Pasta Dish, Best Sauce, Best Italian Dessert Dish.  Don't they sound delicious already? It is a Sa... 08/31/2010

As a real estate agent, I have heard of this many many times from a buyer.  And as a buyer, why would you want to spend your time and energy to do all the researches and find out you may be 10 points away from 620 credit score (minimum required credit score) to get a loan approval? I am saying it can be anything on your credit report that you may not aware of and it stops you from getting a loan.  If you are serious of buying, you owe it to yourself to find out how much you can borrow and how much is your monthly note will be.  Looking at houses without talking to a lender first is just like walking on a tight rope blind folded. When I work with buyers, the first thing I suggest them to do is to get a loan pre-approval.  You need to know how high you can go, what is your interest rate, ... 08/26/2010

Marion, Ar. - The Next Best College Town You probably won't think Marion, Ar. is a college town, and we are not really a college town itself.  As a matter of fact, we don't have a college in Marion, Ar. So, you ask, how is that made Marion, Ar. the next best college town?  Let me explain.  Mid South Community College, located in West Memphis, just about 10 minutes away Rhodes College in Memphis, Tn, right cross the State line, about 20 minutes away.  Forbes America's Best Colleges 2010 #47 University of Memphis in Memphis, Tn., about 20 minutes away.  Forbes America's Best Colleges 2010 #583 Christian Brother University in Memphis, Tn., about 20 minutes away.  Forbes America's Best Colleges 2010 #543 The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tn., about 15 minutes awa... 08/13/2010

Buyers and Sellers-Take it Easy, all the E's can't take you anywhere   In a real estate transaction, a buyer and a seller takes an opposite role, everyone knows about that, no need for explanation.  But they both also share many things in common, no matter they agree it or not.  And lots of times it is human nature is trying to take its course:   Ego - There are times that a buyer and a seller can't come to an agreement of a negotiation is because each party wants to see who gets the last word.  It is human nature to compete to be the winner in any time of the day.  A real estate negotiation is about doing the best to make it happen.  Making it extra difficult to work with is not going to take you anywhere. Emotion - Selling and Buying can stir up lots of emotion between everyone, but i... 08/08/2010

Buyers-Things You Need to Pay Attention While Improving your Credit   Won't it be a perfect world when you are ready to buy a house, a car, or anything requires credit check, and your credit are sparkling clean to go?  But in the real world, many of us probably need to work on our credit before a major purchase, it can take from 3 months to up to an year or even more, it depends how much you need to repair your credit. While you are trying to improve your credit, there are a few things you need to pay extra attention, in order not to make your score even lower. **Don't open any new credit card account if you already have an existing account, just pay them on time and in full when the monthly statement comes. Don't just pay the minimum payment. **Pay your bills on time and don't be late,... 08/07/2010

The mess that buyers get themselves into.................   Despite of all the information we can get from the Internet, we can Google anything on earth, we try to educate our buyers what to and what not to do.  Sometimes they still prefer to go their way and get themselves into some kinds of mess:   didn't tell the lender of financial changes after loan approval, the lender finds out before closing, can't close. not using a licensed home inspector to do the home inspection, they rather do it themselves to save some money.  After moving in the new home, call us back about things are not working, end up costing them more to do the repairs. go into a contract without a real estate professional, and they consider they can do better without an agent.  And they don't know what kinds of claus... 08/01/2010

Fishing at Island 40 Chute Daily's Boat Dock in Marion, Ar.       Are you ready to go fishing?  Head on out to Island 40 Chute Boat Dock on Daily's Road in Marion.  This cute place is owned by Mr. Sample who took over the business from his father-in-law who started the business in the 1940's.  Mr. Sample has been living there since the 1950's, it is a family business for many years. You can do bank fishing or rent a boat at the dock, price is not bad either.  Check it out!                               Mr. Sample has lots of hummingbird feeders on his front proch and he even invited me to go up to take a look.  He is a very friendly and sweet perosn.  He has a beautiful garden, it is like his own paradise, it is tucked far away from everything.                 It is very serene there.  ... 07/26/2010

It's 3 o'clock on a hot Sunday Afternoon in Arkansas.  Grab that special person in you life and come to our Sizzlin Open House Sunday.  We've got 24 houses open today.  We'll have a glass of Home Made Lemonade waiting on you.  Here is a list of what we've got Open. Crawfordville-Estate of Delta Pointe 1084 Hwy 64 B 245 Estate Dr  SOLD 233 Mary Alice Cove 235 Mary Alice Cove River Trace 105 Victoria Cv. 205 Swepston St John's Landing 821 Marquette Pleasasnt Woods 782 Pleasant Woods Pleasant Plains 832 Sorrel Cr. Bayou Vista 861 Bayou Vista 811 Bella ARive 856 Belle Rive 910 Rue Le Maison 912 Rue Le Maison 831 Blivd St Germaine 800 Blvd Oreans  Model Others 262 N. Casa View 331 Jerrell Lackey Cv 721 Lena Dr. Team Coldwell Banker Heritage Homes had a Great Saturday selling 3 houses from ou... 07/25/2010