10 Reasons to Buy

Provided By Realty Times

Owning a home has been a part of the American Dream for decades. If you are still unsure, however, whether or not homeownership is the move for you, be sure to read these ten reasons to buy.

1. Low Interest Rates. It's true! Interest rates are currently at historical lows. This means over the course of your loan, you'll pay less interest. And it also means monthly payments will be a smaller, more manageable amount.

2. Mortgage Interest Deduction: While this deduction may not be available for much longer, for now you can still use this great tax advantage!

3. Stability: Studies have shown that homeownership not only increases community involvement, it also leads to safer neighborhoods, and higher graduation rates.

4. Affordability: Coupled with the low interest rates, affordability is the highest it's been in years. Prices fell in many areas and median incomes rose -- meaning you can get more bang for your buck.

5. Paying Towards Ownership. Instead of paying a landlord, you are making an investment in your future. Every month your payment goes towards something you'll eventually own and that will have worth and value. Renting only makes the landlord richer!

6. Appreciation: Average appreciation rates vary widely depending on the condition of the local market and demand, but anywhere from 4 to 6 percent annually is considered average. This means the longer you stay in your home, the more your home will be worth.

7. Home equity: This building of worth over time (see number 6) means that if you need to make improvements to your home, you will be able to tap into its equity to finance repairs and additions.

8. Gardening: Many households are embracing the organic movement, and families have begun again to raise their own food. Even the White House has its own victory garden. Owning your own home (in most cases) means you will have your own land to cultivate.

9. Roots: Young and old alike seek out places where they belong. Owning a property, and taking your first steps towards putting down roots, can mean the difference between a house and a home.

10. Monthly Payments: Once your home is paid off -- you won't have monthly payments anymore. Apart from insurance, property taxes, and repairs, monthly expenses are minimal. In today's market, many buyers are finding, as well, that their monthly house payments are less than what they'd pay in rent!

Are you in the market to purchase a home? Give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.

Life Outdoors

Provided By My Home Ideas

See how these real-life homeowners made their outdoor spaces livable rooms -- ideal for entertaining and relaxing.

Seamless Blend

People who entertain often will appreciate a kitchen that blends into the garden. This one includes a sink, grill, and pizza oven with plenty of counter space for food prep and serving. Note how the stonework and plantings blur the lines between utilitarian space and landscape.

Sleek Driveway

Even the tiny transition between the driveway and the yard here looks sharp. It features a grid of pavers seamed with woolly thyme. Oranged-streaked phormium echoes the pebbles, seat cushions, and side tables.

Light the Night

When night falls or the weather gets nippy, a toasty fire is both a practical luxury and a luxurious necessity. This fire pit and built-in bench encourage hanging out in the garden, particularly for drinks or desserts. Marshmallows are optional.

A Little Lighting

Lanterns filled with votives and suspended from bamboo poles make this garden functional at night. The flickering light illuminates plants and objets d'art.

Are you looking for a home that has the perfect outdoor space to create your own personal oasis? Give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.

10 Great Backyard Ideas

Source: My Home Ideas/www.MyHomeIdeas.com

Finished in a weekend or less, these fun, easy projects will help transform your backyard into a personal oasis.

Simple Flagstone Path

A mortarless flagstone path is a practically foolproof project.

"It's not very technical and doesn't require any power tools," says garden designer Tom Piergrossi. "Still, there's enough artistry involved to make it satisfying."


Party Umbrella

Dress up some lanterns with ribbon, add simple fabric panels to a plain umbrella, and you've created the perfect setting for a romantic dinner alfresco.

Butterfly Buffet

Fill your garden with nectar-rich flowering plants, and monarchs and other winged beauties will drop by regularly.

This 8- x 10-foot butterfly garden uses only long-growing perennials for years of easy of care.

Backyard Bocce

For after-dinner fun with friends, make like a Roman and roll bocce balls toward a target pallino.

Long familiar in places like California's Napa Valley, bocce is appearing in backyards across the West.


Storage Bench

A coiled hose is a necessary evil in a garden -- you need one, but when it's not in use, who wants to see it?

Instead, conceal one or two hoses in this handsome bench built from common 1 x 6 boards.

3 Easy Pots

Beautiful perennials can thrive for years in a single container.

Grow just one, pair companion plants, or have fun mixing a variety of complementary colors and textures.

Decorative Bricks

You can make a charming little patio like this in just one weekend.

Tuck it into a border or garden corner, where you can linger with a Sunday morning latte or an evening glass of wine.

Planter Fountain

In this simple homemade fountain, an azalea container supports a strawberry pot and hides a small water pump.

A low terra-cotta bowl forms the base and catches falling water.

Build a Beach

If distance discourages regular visits to the beach, try turning a corner of your yard into a quirky personal seashore like this one in Sunset's test garden in Menlo Park, California.

Night Lights

In his backyard ramada, artist Jeff Zischke houses candles in antique carriage lamps and ordinary mason jars.

"That flickering glow just draws people in like moths."