Tag Archives: Oak Cliff Restaurants

Prepared for Whatever!

February 15th, 2021, I woke up at 5:30AM to Val asking, “did you turn off the ceiling fan?” The bedroom one we keep on all nights of the year? Nope. Not me. 

UH OH

We both bolted upright. “The power is out!”

That’s right…in the first 24 hours of the brutal snowstorm that crippled Texas, we were without heat, lights, or hot water. Although “rolling blackouts” were “scheduled”, Val and I both doubted the state’s ability to execute their own plan. 

We each got into motion. Val secured a hotel room that would take our dogs and checked on her mom. I grabbed the Go-Bag and started to assemble the remaining checklist items. What’s a Go-Bag? Simply put, it’s a waterproof container ready for various emergencies. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of them; I hadn’t either until September 2019. At that time, I met Vicky Wessling, the first female forest fighter and later a volunteer with the American Red Cross. During the whitewater raft trip down the Grand Canyon, she convinced me in a few days time that a Go-Bag was essential to every household. 

Jenni (third from the left) whitewater rafting with Vicky (far right).

What’s in a Go-Bag? In brief, it’s a waterproof bag with personal documents, a handful of medical items, some cash, and a few emergency staples. A complete list can be found here. Or, if you are short on time, you can buy pre-made bags with Judy or Preppi starting from $195. There are variations depending on the type and extent of emergency expected. The main thing is to have your bag and a checklist ready IN ADVANCE. 

Here’s how that played out for my family. Val did get us a place to stay. But on the third day, we came down from the 15th floor for our morning dog walk. There were several trash cans catching leaks throughout the hotel lobby. We learned that they lost a boiler and were about to shut the power off “for an hour” (it ended up being 12 hours). When we got back to the room, we grabbed the Go-Bag, and a few other things, to head home, where a few neighbors had let us know the power was restored. It would have normally sent me into a tailspin or panic to have had to evacuate twice. Just knowing that I had all of our important stuff in one place and a plan gave us great peace of mind. And made quick decisions possible.

My Go-Bag took me about 3-4 months of steady progress to compile. If you start now, you can be ready for deep winter in Texas. Or, get a pre-made kit if you prefer. But as Simon Huck (founder of Judy) told the New York Times, “The No. 1 thing you can do to save lives is make an emergency plan…more so than having a physical product.”

The actual bag.

Wishing you a safe and happy Winter season!

How Our Clients Used Compass Concierge

When Emily Ruth’s best friends, Stephen and Sarah, needed to quickly list and sell their home after inadvertently stumbling upon the GOAT, unicorn home of their dreams, we put together a to do list quickly, leaned on Compass Concierge, and got to work.

They had a lifetime of memories on the wall that needed to be paired down so the future buyers could picture living in the home. In addition, their son Oliver, had an incredible lego collection mounted on the walls of his bedroom. Remember, anything attached to the walls, unless explicitly excluded, conveys with the home sell.

Despite the home being incredibly well maintained with a strong foundation, there were standard hairline cracks that could possibly deter future home buyers. We paired down the art work, removed all of the built in shelves and legos, and repainted almost everywhere, leaning on Sarah and Stephen’s great taste and color choices.

There was a broken window and a few small to do’s like repair missing tile and regrout that we took care of as well.  

The biggest changes happened to the exterior. We repainted the existing colors and home really popped. The lilac, maroon, and white paint colors had really dulled after time. Sarah and Stephen both lamented that they really wished they had painted a long time ago.

How did this work out for them? Incredibly well! After four days with over 50 showings and 4447 online views, we received multiple offers and accepted an offer for $25,000 over asking. Also, in combination with the homeowner’s (one of our favorite inspectors) due diligence over the years, the buyers did not ask for any concessions at all during the option period.

Check out the results!

Compass Concierge

The hassle-free way to sell your home faster and for a higher price, Compass Concierge helps you maximize its value with home improvement services like staging, flooring, painting and more. No upfront costs, no interest.

We love working with Compass because of programs like this!

Learn more about Compass Concierge here.

Q2 Trends

We’ve seen so much growth over the past year thanks to our wonderful clients.

Check out this Market Trend Report from Compass!

Compass had the highest total sales in Dallas County for the month of July. We’re happy to work with some of the best in the biz!

Experts On Your Side

This year alone, several clients with off-market sales have specifically requested our representation. They feel that having an expert on their side serves them best, both financially and contractually. This article from Texas REALTORS® outlines just a few reasons why selling your home with a licensed real estate agent is the best way to go.

Thinking of Selling Your Home Yourself?

Most people hire a real estate agent to sell their home. In fact, 91% of Texans did so in 2020, according to research by the National Association of REALTORS®. If you are considering selling your home on your own, make sure you know what you are in for. The process can be complicated and the stakes high. Here are just a few of the many reasons a REALTOR® is the best choice to help you sell your home:

Nobody Knows the Market Better Than a REALTOR®

REALTORS® are engaged every day in buying and selling real estate. They know what factors help a property sell quickly and for the highest price. They also understand what causes homes to languish on the market. A REALTOR® will help you make the best decisions to realize your goals.

A REALTOR® Can Help You Get Ready to Sell

Wondering what updates to tackle before putting your home on the market? Unsure how to price your property? What you decide could lead to tens of thousands of dollars in gains or losses. A REALTOR® brings a wealth of experience to help you optimize your sale in these and many other areas. You won’t have to figure out on your own what disclosures are required, which forms to use, and other important considerations.

Read the full Texas REALTORS® article here.

Reasons You Should NOT FSBO

A study by Collateral Analytics revealed that FSBOs don’t actually save anything by forgoing the help of an agent. In some cases, they may actually cost themselves more. One of the main reasons for the price difference at the time of sale is:

“Properties listed with a broker that is a member of the local MLS will be listed online with all other participating broker websites, marketing the home to a much larger buyer population. And those MLS properties generally offer compensation to agents who represent buyers, incentivizing them to show and sell the property and again potentially enlarging the buyer pool.”

The more buyers that view a home, the greater the chance of a bidding war for the property. The study found the difference in price between comparable homes of size and location is currently at an average of 6%.

Read more here.

OPEN THIS WEEKEND!

Celebrating Our Independence

How are you celebrating Independence Day this year?

These are just a few of the many cool celebrations happening around Dallas this weekend…

Red, White, & Groove: Light Show and Live DJs at the AT&T Discovery District

July 3–4 Fireworks, schmireworks. It’s all about the immersive light shows in 2021. Head downtown to catch electronic artists Tess Vockler, Sam Blacky, Dallas’ own DJs Ishi and Blake Ward, who will play at The Globe and on The Second Floor at the Exchange at the AT&T Discovery District throughout the weekend. DJs will play alongside the light which starts after dusk and runs until 10 p.m. Find more schedule details here.

Star Spangled Block Party

July 3 At downtown’s La Ventana, grab street tacos, all-day breakfast, margaritas, plus more food and drink specials from 4 p.m. till midnight. Metal-mariachi band, Metalichi, will perform, as well as a DJ Sir Alex. Tickets are $5. (And it’s 21 and up only.)

Find more weekend activities in this D Magazine article

Teens can get free access to Dallas Arboretum & other attractions in July

Dallas Park and Recreation has teamed up with several local partners to offer City of Dallas Teens (ages 12-17) FREE activities during the month of July! Visit any Dallas Recreation Center to sign up and receive your FREE Rec Access Pass! 

Pass can be picked up beginning July 1st – July 31st at any Dallas Recreation Center. Find your neighborhood Recreation Center HERE!

What do you get with this pass?

Bahama Beach Waterpark – Complimentary admission for a family of 4 valid weekdays only in July.

Dallas Arboretum – Complimentary admission for a family of 4, and one parking pass. 

Dallas Holocaust & Human Rights Museum – Complimentary admission for a family of 4.

Dallas Library – Complimentary book bag with book check out.

Dallas Museum of Art – 1 complimentary admission.

Dallas Zoo – Complimentary admission for a family of 4, and 1 parking pass. 

Shakespeare Dallas – 4 complimentary tickets to any performance of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare at Samuell Grand Ampitheater. 

Southern Skates Roller Rink – Complimentary admission and skate rental any Sunday in July for a family of 4.

Trinity River Audubon Center – Complimentary admission for a family of 4 any Wednesday in July.  

Have a Safe and Happy Fourth, y’all!