The Joys of Winter for Your Home!

Posted on January 9, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

Ah, the joys of winter. Shoveling the driveway. Foot-tall snowdrifts. Piling enough layers on yourself to give the Michelin man a run for his money. All of them small inconveniences compared to what could await you if you don’t give your house the once-over during these winter months. The harsh elements can wreak havoc on your home, and although most homeowners are aware of that, we’re not sure how to conduct an inventory on our own homes to ward off the possibility of winter-induced damage and subsequent expenses.

Now, before you tell yourself you don’t need to worry about such problems because you live in a warmer climate, wait — even homeowners in such places as Texas or Florida can be affected by these pitfalls. After all, most of the warmest climates are subject to occasional drops in temperature, leaving homeowners vulnerable to such problems as:

Frozen pipes.

Frozen pipes can be a disaster. If they remain unnoticed and ultimately burst, the subsequent damage to your home is enormous. And replacing all carpeting and flooring is just the beginning. To help prevent your pipes from freezing, take the following steps:

  • find your water shutoff valve
  • insulate and/or heat exposed pipes
  • seal leaks of cold air from outside
  • disconnect your garden hoses and shut them off from the indoor valve
  • protect your water meter from the harsh outside elements
  • leave your faucets on a stready stream at temperatures of zero or below
  • open any sink cabinet doors that are located adjacent to outside walls
  • if you plan to travel and leave your home for any length of time, ask a neighbor to check your house daily to make sure that it’s warm enough to prevent freezing pipes and other hazards.

Frozen vents.

During particularly cold temperatures, ice can accumulate in roof vent stacks, causing them to clog. Air admittance valves, commonly called AAVs, are vulnerable not only to the elements, but also to homeowner ignorance. Since they remain out of sight, years can pass before the homeowner realizes — either on his own or with the aid of a home inspector — that the vents have popped off the riser due to back pressure after freezing shut and are lying several feet away from the attic vent stack.

Timber!

Perhaps nothing seems quite as diastrous as a collapsing roof that gives under the weight of excessive snow. And it goes without saying that the financial implications of this disaster are practically an afterthought when compared to the potential danger to your family. Attempting to gage the risk of snow overloading is a difficult diagnosis for a homeowner to make. It’s best to consult the services of a home inspector or engineer, who can spot soft areas or deflection on your rooftop, both of them warning signs of a roof at risk of collapse.

Ice Blockages.

Homeowners in climates where snow melts during the day and then refreezes at night are particularly vulnerable to ice dams. Ice accumulation can cause significant damage to your walls, insulation, ceilings, siding and soffits. Ice also may creep under your shingles and begin to enter your attic, out of your sight and awareness until it’s too late to save your bank account from expensive repairs.

Snow accumulation that melts during the day and refreezes at night can damage walls, ceilings, insulation, siding, and soffits. At the eaves, water and ice work up under shingles and eventually enters the attic. Take these precautions to protect your home from damage:

  • make sure you ventilate your roof adequately, allowing sufficient air flow from the soffits to the ridge
  • insulate your attic sufficently to keep heat loss to a minimum
  • clean leaves and debris from your gutters and downspouts
  • keep the snow collecting on your roof to a minimum
  • clear excessive buildup of icicles hanging from the sides of your roof
  • install de-icing cable, which can help ward off weather-related problems.

Indoor moisture.

The insides of window panes often collect moisture and may damage your woodwork and wallboard. Watch for moisture build-up, and wipe your windowsills frequently.

Carbon monoxide.

During the winter months, we keep our homes sealed up tighter than a drum, which prevents any ventilation and increases the risk of higher-than-average carbon monoxide concentrations. CO2 comes from such sources as your water heater, fireplace, gas stove, furnace heat exchanger and/or any appliance in your home that uses oil, gas, or burns wood to operate. Inspect each one of these appliances in your home, and make sure they’re ventilating properly.

Obviously, not all homeowners are well-versed enough in home inspections — no matter how informal — to perform this inventory on their own and judge risks where they are present. So it may be best to recruit the services of a certified home inspector to help you. Just keep your checklist handy, and make sure your home inspector performs every item listed here. The money you spend on a home inspector is indeed far less than the money you’ll spend to rectify any weather-induced headache in your home.

 

Posted in Cold | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Preparing Your Home for Winter

Posted on January 8, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

As we approach the end of January, most of us heave a sigh of relief, glad that the worst of yet another winter is over. But that’s not necessarily so — for two reasons. The first affects those of us who reside in the south. One word — Southernors — sends chills up the spines of everyone north of the Mason-Dixon line. The month of March is, in fact, sometimes the worst month of all for Southern residents. That’s when severe blizzards, known as COLD WEATHER, are subject to occur at a moment’s notice. That’s not to say that these ‘blizzards’ can’t wreak havoc earlier than March — they can, and they do — but springtime seems to bring them in more frequent numbers, and with more ferocious intensity, generating high winds and snowdrifts that literally shut cities down.

The second reason winter may not yet be over, even for the most confident among us, is a two-word term that’s been used one too many times: El Niño. Before you let out an exasperated sigh, consider that this weather phenomenon is catching many unsuspecting residents around the country off guard, with storms completely out of character for particular geographical regions.

It’s a given that you should keep yourself posted on any and all weather alerts. If you’re alerted that a storm is on its way, it’s necessary to take a few precautions long before the bad weather hits. Online homeowners’ resource HouseNet, Inc. recommends disconnecting all hoses from outside faucets, turning off the water supply to outdoor water lines, and draining the lines. Give your home-heating system a once-over, and if you’re using kerosene heaters, make sure you avoid toxic fume buildup by maintaining adequate ventilation.

Energy specialist Billy Wicker recommends homeowners replace the thermostats in their homes with setback thermostats, which generally cost between $30 and $40 and may be timed to come on when you’re about to get up in the morning, turn off when you leave, pop on before you arrive home, and then turn off once again right after you go to sleep. Wicker also advises homeowners to keep their thermostats set no higher than 70 degrees during the wintertime.

If not cleaned and replaced periodically, the air filters in your home become clogged with dust and obstruct air flow, which forces your home heating system to work harder to compensate. Not only do your energy bills increase as a result; it’s just a matter of time before your blower burns out. Home maintenance guru Michael Holigan advises homeowners to conduct a monthly check-up of their filters during heating season and clean or replace them as necessary. (Filters generally cost around $1 to replace.)

Another inexpensive cost-saving strategy: Check to find out if air is streaming into your home from below your doors. If you do have a draft, head to your hardware store. For between $2 and $3, you may purchase a strip that screws on to the bottom of the door. Holigan recommends the “hairdryer and candle” technique to detect air leaks around your window and doors. This high-tech strategy requires two players. While one person moves the blower around the outside frame, the other person follows with a candle on the inside. If the flame flickers or is extinguished, you’re going to need weather stripping or caulking. Caulking is a do-it-yourselfer’s dream: cheap, easy, quick, and reliable. And it comes in several different shades and colors, so odds are good you’ll find the right one for your trim.

This old house … is cold

If you live in a particularly old home, the “quaint” aspect may be overshadowed by the chills you feel during the wintertime. There’s several inexpensive ways you can tackle that problem yourself. Your first target should be exposed pipes, according to Holigan, who suggests getting an insulated pipe wrap instead, and wrapping the copper. That prevents the pipe from freezing and bursting, creating a veritable Noah’s ark in your home. And perhaps even more significant, you’re going to save money every month if it’s a hot water pipe; heat that was once lost is now insulated.

Older homes almost always feel drafty, and the primary reason is that most of their doors don’t contain any weather-stripping. Some inexpensive, generic foam weather-stripping around your door frames will help your doors fit snugly and keep air from leaking into your home.

While more of us resemble Tim Allen than Bob Villa, the experts agree that a trip to the hardware store and a few bucks will save homeowners goose bumps now and far more money later.

Posted in Cold, South, texas | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Saving on your Energy Bill

Posted on January 6, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

The typical U.S. household spends about $1,300 on its home energy bills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency . And for many of us who live in regions that experience extremes in weather patterns, $1,300 may be a conservative estimate. During “Enlightening America ’98,” a recent conference in Dallas held by the Energy Efficient Lighting Association , panelists from the lighting industry and the EPA disclosed the ways in which energy — particularly light energy — is being wasted, and what consumers and businesses can do about it. Speakers included Maria Tikoff Vargas, director of EPA’s Green Lights Program and co-director of EPA’s Energy Star Buildings Program; and Jack Briody of the Advance Transformer Company. Their overriding message: Saving energy means saving money. A lot of money. And in a society in which bottom-line profits as well as household expenditures are key, the message should be embraced by the masses. The problem is, it’s not.

Why? Consumer education is why. And consumer education, panelists indicated, often results from a trickle-down effect. When businesses decide to adopt strategies to conserve energy, word spreads, and consumers are soon to follow. In particular, businesses are finding that energy conservation is good public relations. Businesses adopt these methods and install energy-conserving technology not only because they’ll save money following the initial investment, but also because taking such measures gives companies bragging rights. “Green” businesses market their efforts to the public. The public’s eyes are opened to the bottom-line benefits of energy-saving technology, and thus make a few changes at home. And perhaps homeowners even bring a little profit to green companies through the energy-saving products they purchase for their homes. Everybody wins.

Case in point: “Energy Star”-labeled equipment. The EPA is working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy to promote the use of energy-saving equipment by designating such products with the Energy Star label. Together, the two agencies have established criteria for several consumer products that not only meet but exceed the minimum national energy-efficiency standards. Manufacturers and retailers voluntarily place the label on their models that meet or exceed those criteria.

According to the EPA, energy-efficient appliances and heating and cooling equipment could save homeowners up to 40 percent off of their energy bills. In fact, choosing an Energy Star-labeled air-source heat pump may reduce a household energy bill enough to provide a free month of cooling each year.

The EPA adds that households who install Energy Star-labeled equipment — including programmable thermostats, boilers, furnaces, heat pumps, central air conditioners, and appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and room air conditioners — versus standard new equipment could stave off the release of 70,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere during the lifetime of those products. To further illustrate the impact of that choice, the resulting pollution savings is equivalent to removing a car off the road for seven years. The same energy-efficient household may also reduce by approximately one-half the release of nitrogen oxides, which are prime contributors to smog and acid rain.

The efforts of the two agencies were spurred, of course, by concerns about the larger picture: air quality. Smog, acid rain, global warming, and increasing rates of respiratory disease are foremost in the minds of the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy. But making a familiar call to the masses — the homeowners — is their most effective strategy for gaining support. So while global warming and acid rain theories have just as many proponents as they do disciples, seeing a drastic reduction in one’s home energy bill is sure to convince any homeowner of the merits of energy-saving technology. As you wince at your current energy bill, it’s food for thought.

 

Posted in Business | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Branded or NonBranded Website – The Question on Prospecting

Posted on January 4, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

Some people think that a “stealth real estate website” will capture more leads for Realtors than a website with a Realtor name on it. The theory is that internet searchers are afraid of being contacted by salespeople and thus want to remain anonymous in their home searching.

я

This may be true. It is possible to set up one or more Realtor websites without the Realtor’s name appearing anywhere on the site. The only way this works to benefit the Realtor is if the stealth website captures many more leads in the form of names and email addresses.

The more email addresses you have the more effective your email marketing system will be, leading to more closings and more commissions. So you definitely want to capture as many email addresses as possible.

Whether it’s stealth or branded, the website that captures emails will want to offer something of great value to the site visitor in exchange for giving up their emails. Typically what’s offered is access to free property searches, a customized home value report, or some other valuable real estate information such as a listing of all homes for sale in a given zip code.

My opinion is that a stealth (nonbranded) website can work for a Realtor to capture leads only if it is paired with a branded website bearing the Realtor name.

We can now set up new websites for Realtors in about an hour, that are custom designed. With some additional time we can optimize the site and get it ranked in Google for real estate Keyword search terms. Because of this there is no reason for a Realtor to have just one website.

The concept of stealth websites makes sense because consumers have gotten gun-shy. Many of them are fearful of getting a call from a real estate sales person. They love surfing the web for real estate information but don’t want to actually talk to anybody.

Eventually these people will want to talk to a knowledgeable real estate professional who understands their needs and desires. If you’ve helped them through a customized stealth website and then moved them to recognize your name and brand, then the real estate professional they choose will be you.

http://www.robertjrussellcompanies.com

 

Posted in Business | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Home Resoltions for 2015

Posted on January 3, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

It’s that time again. Time to make those resolutions to lose weight, leave a bad relationship, or stop smoking. It’s what we all do every year—take on a huge, often impossible or unrealistic, quest to change our lives for the better. No wonder most resolutions end in frustration by March (or February, if we’re being honest).

This year, be smart—and practical, and savvy—and make some New Year’s resolutions that are easier to achieve and that will improve your surroundings. Here are 10 resolutions you can make for a better home.

1. Make a plan and stick to it. Deciding what you want to do is half the battle. Actually getting it done is the other half. If decisiveness is an issue, make a list of major and minor items that need to be repaired or renovated and take it to a family vote to determine what is going to happen first. Then, make it a family effort to get it all done. It can even end up being a fun bonding experience (but don’t forget about that great equalizer—bribing—if need be).

2. Finish what you start. Whether you want to replace some ratty old light covers, redo your floors, or double the size of your home, determination and resolve are critical. Daily life has a way of derailing good intentions! And leaving projects unfinished can cause stress.

“Starting a new project is like falling in love,” said Psychology Today. “Then, after some time goes by, the activity…turns into harder work than we expected. It takes longer to complete than we’d hoped, or there’s some tedium and drudgery involved. We realize we aren’t sure about the next step. Stuck, we grind to a halt.”

For some tips on how to avoid getting stuck, click here.

3. Save your pennies. If you don’t have the money to complete a big project now, start small. Or, start saving. Resolve to put a little money aside every month, or, even better, every week. By the end of the year, you’ll be ready to go.

4. Clean it out. We all have that room we keep hidden from company. The one that houses all the stuff we don’t have space for anywhere else—or the time to get rid of. Set aside a weekend—or two—to purge all that old furniture and out-of-date clothes by having a garage sale, donating what you can, and trashing the rest.

“One of the best and least expensive ways to feel better about your home is to clear it of clutter,” said HGTV. “Each year most of us acquire a mountain of stuff. Without some regular purging, cabinets and drawers get jam-packed and it becomes hard to find the things you use and enjoy the most. (All that clutter also makes your house look dated and dirty, designers say.)”

5. Repaint. If it’s been more than a handful of years, your colors are probably not reflecting the latest trends. House Beautiful recommends updating every 5 to 10 years…”depending on your lifestyle.”

“Quite often your style evolves, and decisions that you made several years ago don’t feel as ‘true’ now as they did then, said House Beautiful. “Repainting is clearly a part of this process, as well as cleaning, repairing, or replacing furniture and floor coverings that are beginning to show wear and tear.”

6. Fix it. That busted outside light, that broken rattling sound when you turn on your shower—these are annoyances, but they could also be indicators of an unsafe home. This year, make it a priority to identify any risks and then eliminate them.

“There are a few things that every homeowner should do to ensure that they’re not living with a potential health hazard or fire risk, said HGTV. “First, check your house for radon. This colorless, odorless gas causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year from the radioactive particles it traps in your lungs as you breathe, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. One in every fifteen homes has elevated levels.”

You can check your house for radon with “test kits costing as little as $20 at your local hardware store. Installing a carbon monoxide detector “on every bedroom floor in addition to fire detectors” is another important safety measure. And don’t forget to “clean the vents and ducts behind the dryer. Lint may seem innocent, but it’s highly combustible, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, accounting for more than 15,000 building fires a year.”

7. Go green. “Many people resolve to slim down their waistlines, but there’s a different way to shrink in the New Year—one that benefits both you and the environment, said Huffington Post. “Reduce your home’s carbon footprint by making energy-efficient and eco-friendly upgrades. These can be as minor as fixing the draft underneath your front door or as major as upgrading your kitchen to EnergyStar appliances and installing solar panels on your roof.

Learn more easy ways to go green on Better Homes and Gardens.

8. Do it yourself. Always wanted to put up a new backsplash or install a new bathroom vanity? It may be easier than you think. Watching a simple tutorial online may be all you need to become a DIY superstar.

9. Hire someone. Some projects may be over your head, even if you’re pretty DIY savvy. Don’t be afraid to bring in a professional for electrical or plumbing work, roof repair, or home additions.

10. Give yourself a fresh start. You might be coveting the house around the corner with the larger floorplan and the pool out back. But if it’s not in the cards (or the budget!) for you to move right now or double your square footage, there are tricks to help you fall in love with your home again.

“Make a few updates, perhaps change things around a bit and you may start to rekindle the love you felt years ago when you first moved in and the space seemed to ooze with possibility,” said Boutwell Contracting & Development. “Rethink the way you live in a room” by turning an unused space into something that suits your family. “Do you really need a living room that you never use? Instead add functional pieces for games or hobbies or music and you’ve got instant additional living space. Make your house fit your needs.”

Or, make smaller changes like swapping out furniture or adding bright accessories and new lighting. So your house isn’t the 10,000-square-foot, fit-for-a-king palace you dream about. What’s so great about moats anyway?!

Posted in Business, Resolution | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Questions and Answers

Posted on January 2, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

Question: My wife and I have owned our house for many years. I am several years older and suspect that she will outlive me. I want to make sure that she will be able to stay in the house for the rest of her life, and have heard about a legal concept called “a life estate”. Can you explain how this works?

Answer: This is a complex — obtuse — area of the law, but here’s a general outline.

First, if you and your wife hold title as tenants by the entirety, on your death, your wife will automatically own the entire property by “operation of law”. No probate will be required.

However, if the property is held as tenants in common, then on your death, your interest will have to go to Probate, and assuming you have a Last Will and Testament, your interest will be distributed pursuant to the instructions contained in that Will. If you do not have a Will — which you should — your half will go to your heirs in accordance with the Laws of Intestacy in the State where your property is located.

Let’s assume that you hold the property as tenants in common. You can, of course, change the way title is held and convey it to you and your wife as tenants by the entirety. However, you may have reasons not to do this — such as for tax purposes. Accordingly, on your death, your wife will continue to own her share of the property (usually this is allocated on a 50-50 basis.

To give your wife a life estate in your half of the property, your Will would provide simply that on your death, your interest will go to your Wife for her life, and on her death, to whomever you select. That person is called the “remainderman”.

But don’t just write “my wife gets a life estate”. You have to consider many issues — all of which should be clearly spelled out in your Will. Here are some basic guidelines regarding life estates.

– real estate taxes: it is the general rule that the life tenant is responsible for paying all property taxes during his/her lifetime;

– ordinary repairs, upkeep and maintenance: these are the responsibility of the life tenant; that person lives in the house and it is her/his obligation to preserve the property;

– improvements: this question comes up often. “I, the life tenant, want to make improvements to the house; who pays for this?” Ordinarily, a life tenant has no right to make permanent improvements to the home. If they are made, without the consent of the remainderman, it is at the expense of the life tenant. However, it is the obligation of the life tenant to make all of the necessary repairs so as to preserve the property;

– home owner insurance: unless specifically spelled out in the Will, the life tenant is responsible only for insuring his/her interest, while the remainderman has the obligation to insure the remainder interest. Sounds complicated and confusing, but the insurance carriers can assist in resolving this.

– can the life tenant move out and rent the property? The law provides that a life tenant is entitled to both the possession and use of the property. Included in this “use” is the right to rent the property to another, and keep the rent money. However, any such rent would be taxable income to the life tenant;

– can the life tenant sell the interest? The answer is yes, but the potential buyer would only get what the seller has — namely an interest that would end when the seller dies.

– what rights does the remainderman have? The courts seem to treat a life estate as they do tenants. The general principles give the life tenant the right to peaceful possession without interference from the remainderman. However, if it appears that the life tenant is not properly maintaining the property, he or she would have the right to inspect and make any necessary repairs. Although this may require court action.

There may be tax consequences of giving a life estate and you have to discuss this with your own tax advisors.

Can a life estate be held as tenants by the entirety? , The DC Court of Appeals said yes. Husband and wife owned property and in 1982 conveyed it to themselves “as tenants by the entirety for the terms of their natural lives, and upon the death of the survivor of them” to X. When the husband died, the wife in l992 recorded a deed conveying 8/9th of the property to herself and 1/9th to her daughter. After the wife died, her Personal Representative and the daughter sold the property to third parties.

X filed suit to evict the third parties. The lower Court ruled in favor of the current property owners, holding that since one cannot hold a life estate as tenants by the entireties, the 1982 deed was void. According to that Court, when husband died, the wife automatically owned the entire house, and the 1992 deed was valid.

The Court of Appeals reversed, making it very clear that life estate’s can be held as tenants by the entirety. So when both husband and wife died, X became the rightful owner of the property by virtue of the 1982 deed. The court sent the case back to the lower court to resolve other legal issues. (Allen v Schultheiss, decided October 1, 2009).

A life estate is an important tool for homeowners who are getting on in age. But it needs careful planning and crafting. Do you want to do this by deed while you are alive, or is it better to create the life estate through your Will. Talk with your attorney and tax advisors about all these issues.

 

Posted in Business | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Want to go from For Sale to Sold ?

Posted on January 1, 2015 by robertjrussellcompanies

Are you tired of trying to sell your house with no luck ? Let us bring the SOLD sign out to your house – visit: http://www.robertjrussell.comSold

Posted in house, real estate | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Home Values in Texas – Who is up and Who is down

Posted on December 28, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

Thinking of moving to Texas ? Thinking of Buying or Selling in Texas ?

Texas is booming, drawing people from all over the world in seek of economic opportunities. But as Texas’ economy grows, so do home values. It’s a story familiar to anyone who has spent time in Texas’ major cities. In some places, such as Austin, the home values are growing so fast that some national analysts are beginning to wonder if those values are sustainable.

So what would Texas’ home values look like from space? Using new data released earlier this month from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Austin Business Journal compiled a map showing how median home value estimates in Texas from the Census’ American Community Survey 5-Year-Estimates have changed since 2010. The map, embedded below, colors Texas’ 5,000-plus Census tracts from blue to red to signify the percentage change in median home value estimates. A blue-shaded tract is one where median home value estimates have fallen. A red-shaded tract is one where median home value estimates have risen. Be sure to click within the tracts to explore its statistics. View this article on our mobile app.

On average across Texas, median home value estimates have risen 5 percent in the four years from 2010 through 2013. The tract with the fastest growth is Census Tract 3616.02 in Harris County, Texas, just south of downtown Houston. There, median home value estimates have grown by more than 427 percent since 2010, rising from a median of $19,100 in 20109 to $100,600 in 2013.

According to Robert J Russell, REALTOR and International Real Estate Specialist with keller williams real estate, one of the biggest realtors in North Texas, the growth estimated median home values in this area is driven by home building activity and rehabilitation of existing housing stock for resale by production builders.

“This particular area (Dallas Downtown), until recently, was not one of the finest parts of town, you could say,” said Mr. Russelltexasstate in an interview. “It’s not like a master-planned community. They’ve taken these old, lower-income homes and torn them down and…it’s become a mecca of affordability.”

On the other end of the scale is Census Tract 99 in Dallas, where home values estimates have reportedly fallen by 89 percent since 2010, from $107,000 to $12,000 in 2013. But this particular outlier is suspect, according to Bill Head, director of communications for Dallas MetroTex Association of Realtors. He notes that the tract is largely industrial, and is unaware of any major residential areas there.

Head’s comments underscore a fact that, sometimes, ACS tract-level results can have some weird things going on, especially when you get to either end of the bell curve. This oddity could be chalked up to sampling errors, or unseen or low-key owner-occupied housing in the area.

If you want a takeaway from the data overall, it would be this: Home values grow slower in an area when more housing supply is added. Statewide, Texas Census tracts estimates for housing unit growth increased by an average of 2.3 percent. But the 25 percent of Census tracts that grew the slowest saw above-average housing unit growth at 2.5 percent. The 25 percent of Census tracts where median home values grew the fastest expanded their housing unit stock much slower than average at only 1.7 percent.

For more information about Texas Real Estate – visit: http://www.robertjrussell.com

Posted in real estate, texas | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Minyards is stocking up on Grocery Stores

Posted on December 27, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

Minyards is stocking up on new locations in North Texas after agreeing to buy eight Albertsons and four Tom Thumb stores in the area.

The move comes as Albertsons and Safeway reached agreements to sell 168 store in eight states, including Texas, as part of review by the Federal Trade Commission of the chains’ merger, the Dallas Morning News reported. Safeway is the parent company of Tom Thumb stores in North Texas.

The 12 stores will be converted into Minyard Sun Fresh Market stores, and roughly 1,200 Albertsons and Tom Thumb employees will be hired by Minyards, the Morning News said.

Here are the affected Albertsons stores:

3630 Forest Lane, Dallas
6464 E. Mockinbird Lane, Dallas
4349 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas
3524 McKinney Ave., Dallas
10203 E. Northwest Highway, Dallas
7007 Arapaho Road, Dallas
1108 N. Highway 377, Roanoke
8505 Lakeview Parkway, Rowlett

Here are the Tom Thumbs stores bought:

3300 Harwood Road, Bedford
4000 William D. Tate Ave., Grapevine
4836 W. Park Blvd., Plano
3001 Hardin Blvd., McKinney

Want to know more about what’s going on in your neighborhood ?

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

Posted in Business | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How California Firms feel after Moving to Texas

Posted on December 26, 2014 by robertjrussellcompanies

Here’s a rude shock for anyone who thinks companies might regret moving from California to Texas: They don’t.

Young interviewed a handful of Californians who made the move, including executives and employees of American Specialty Health, a San Diego-based company that established an operations center in Southlake. It sells fitness plans and other custom health products.

Young found that executives and even employees who played no part in relocation decisions seem to be happy with what they’ve found here. An excerpt from his story:

Take Marcel Hayward, a 30-year-old supervisor for American Specialty Health. … Hayward cut his monthly rent by $170 for the same-sized apartment. Plus it’s a nicer place, with granite countertops, hardwood floors and a washer/dryer included.

Hayward said he’s loved exploring Dallas in the four months since he’s moved. And his girlfriend loves the trails outside the city.

“I tell my friends it’s a fantastic place to live,” he said. “You have that city feel in downtown Dallas, very much like San Diego. In a 20-minute drive to the suburb, you feel like you’re out in the country.”

Others interviewed by Young cited Texas’ central geography, business-friendly climate and just plain friendly people as positives from their moves to locations such as suburban Houston and Corpus Christi.

“It’s been a great decision for the company,” said Ron Mittelstaedt, CEO of Waste Connections Inc., which moved its corporate headquarters from Folsom, California, to the Houston area in 2011.

But not everything is rosy in Texas.

The story also said CEOs aren’t finding operational costs to be much lower than in California and they think it can be harder to recruit skilled workers.

Mittelstaedt of Waste Connections told the Sacramento Business Journal that the Houston region makes Sacramento seem like a buyer’s market.

“It takes longer to fill a salaried position because those applicants have more options here,” Mittelstaedt told Young.

Robert J Russell is a relocation specialist helping buyers & sellers in the Dallas-Fort Worth since 2000 – visit his Team website: http://www.robertjrussell.com.

Posted in Business, real estate | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment