Southlake Real Estate Blog

This past weekend Michael Garabedian held his Passport to Luxury Home Tour and it was a tremendous success. As a follow up to my previous post Garabedian Properties Passport To Luxury Home Tour, I want to thank Michael and his fine staff for allowing Team Hodnett to partner in this wonderful event by serving as host for several of Michael’s exquisite homes.

Terrific Prizes Provided by Garabedian Properties

In case you missed this event, Garabedian Properties awarded several prizes at the conclusion of the Passport Luxury Home including tickets to a future Hannah Montana movie and a Nintendo wii game console with extra game controllers.

Photos from this past weekend’s Southlake Passport to Luxury Home Tour

Names of the winners will be added to this post soon.

Custom Built Southlake and Keller Luxury Homes on Parade

Mark your calendars for the Passport To Luxury Home Tour which will be held on January 26th & 27th from Noon to 3pm. Brought to you by Garabedian Properties, Team Hodnett is acting as host for several of the finest luxury estate homes in Tarrant County. Friends, families and guest are invited to attend this spectacular tour. Garabedian Properties will have representatives at each of their homes to answer your  questions and offer you a personal tour of these exquisite homes. Garabedian is opening up all of their luxury homes to debut their new styles, floor plans and custom crafted features.

Don’t Forget Your Passport!

Be sure to download your Passport right here or you can pick up a Passport on the Tour. The download provides a map and details of the tour.  As you visit each Garbedian luxury home don’t forget to have your Passport validated by a Team Hodnett agent or on of the Garabedian tour representatives.  Once you have received all 5 validations, turn your completed Passport to one the Garabedian representatives. Please pay close attention to all rules, conditions and deadlines for an opportunity to win one of two outstanding prizes.

Passport To Luxury Home Tour Prizes

Prizes consist of a Hannah Montana 3-D Concert Movie Package (tickets and prizes) Or a Nintendo Wii consol and game pack. Winners will be announced during the Radio Disney Party which will be held Sunday, January 27th from 2 to 4pm on Sunday the 27th at one of our designated homes.  Check your Passport for complete details on the drawing location.

Contact any member of Team Hodnett or call at Southlake office if you have questions or require additional information. I encourage you to be the first to comment and let me know your thoughts on the direction of the Southlake luxury real estate market.

Until my next post,

Sharon

Now more than ever the wealthy are increasingly becoming citizens of the world. Driven by a weaker US dollar, more wealthy foreign home buyers will continue to view U.S. real estate as the ultimate bargain. The common elements these international buyers seek are areas which offer attractive lifestyles and sound real estate investment opportunities. At the same time, more wealthy Americans will entertain a second home or possibly a retirement home purchase abroad. Many of the “super-rich” seek tax shelters in locations which will increase real estate purchases at the über level.

Key points:

• Major US markets like the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex offer a growing opportunity and interest from the international home buying segment due its market resilience.
• More wealthy American home buyers are seeking to make an overseas real estate purchase for 1. obvious tax reasons and 2. a lifestyle change and chance for more privacy.
• Those with the have-yachts desire to distance themselves from the have-nots. There is a growing disparity between the super-wealthy and those with less income producing power will cause some of the super-rich live a life “under the radar.”
• Greater exclusivity is the name of the game. This means remote exotic international locations primarily serviced by private air strips, deep-water yacht clubs and heliports are growing in popularity. Hot international locales might include Costa Rica, Baja Mexico and other warm water climates possessing solid real estate investment opportunities.
• Many wealthy international and American real estate buyers are careful to buy “green” meaning they are eco-sensitive home buyers. The green wealthy buyers are looking for properties built with Eco-friendly systems that incorporate energy-efficient HVAC systems, building materials made from recycled products and many other earth-friendly products that reduce a “carbor footprint.”

Coming Soon to the Southlake Real Estate Blog?

In the future expect to read about the “Passport To Luxury Home Tour” presented in cooperation with Garabedian Properties. If you have a topical request for the Southlake Real Estate blog, be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you would like to read about.

I encourage you to be the first to comment and let me know your thoughts on the direction of the Southlake luxury real estate market.

Until my next post,

Sharon

Look For Improvement in the Southlake Real Estate Market in 08

While the overall confidence and vitality of the national housing market remains less than stellar, the Southlake and Colleyville luxury housing market should continue to rebound in 2008. Because luxury buyers are typically insulated from the economic pressures associated with lower housing price points, I predict better than average demand should return to the Tarrant County luxury housing market in mid to late 2008. We can thank the wealthy for their ability to continue to grow their fortunes in spite of less than ideal national economic circumstances.

Dodging the “R” Word

Mind you, all it takes is the prolonged use of the “R” word (recession) by the media or the unthinkable (a terrorist event) and the US economy will be quickly impacted by these events. Short of these serious events, expect our local luxury home market to “turn the corner” in 2008. There will be some softening at the entry levels of the luxury market as many “wannabe affluent” attempt to reach for luxury homes that they really couldn’t afford to purchase. Knowledgeable Southlake luxury home buyers empowered with information and partnered with an expert Tarrant County luxury real estate agent should have no problem locating the home of their dreams.

Dallas Luxury Real Estate Makes the Forbes “Blue-Chip” List

Forbes.com recent release of their “Blue-Chip” US Neighborhoods only confirms what has been a known fact all along – prestigious real estate is a sound investment. These luxury communities were identified by Forbes as the top performing real estate investment communities in the nation:

• Pacific Palisades on the Westside of LA
• Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive area
• Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue And 70th Street
• University Park in Dallas
• Philadelphia’s Walnut Street And Third Street
• Houston’s West University Place
• Atlanta’s Ponce De Leon Avenue And Oakdale Road area
• Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Parkway And Massachusetts Avenue area
• Phoenix’s Village On The Lakes And Taliverde area
• Miami’s Brickell Avenue And 13th Street area
• San Francisco’s El Camino Del Mar And Lake Street

Real Estate is Bought and Sold on a Local Level!

While the Tarrant County luxury real estate market was not identified by Forbes, many of the same local economic dynamics that impact our local Southlake luxury market also affects the University Park area in Dallas. When evaluating real estate news “sound-bites” about the US real estate market, remember – real estate is bought and sold on a local level and each market is different. I recommend you analyze your market to know where the “hot” opportunities are located and remember – we are here to lend our expertise. Yes – foreclosures are occurring and the best opportunities for real estate investors exist at the opposite ends of the spectrum—luxury and foreclosure properties.

Future Post – What’s Coming to the Southlake Real Estate Blog?

Expect to read about how the wealthy approach buying and selling real estate from an “international” perspective, the impact of “Buying Green” in real estate and finally the desire for the wealthy to live a more private life. If you have a request for a topic for this blog, be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you would like to read about.

Be the first comment and let me know your thoughts on our Tarrant County real estate market and where you think it is headed for 2008.

Until my next post,

Sharon