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Your Guide to the Best Christmas Light Displays in DFW

by Christie Cannon

The DFW area literally lights up and twinkles as the holidays draw near.  Everywhere from Dallas to Frisco to the Ft. Worth Stockyards light up in spectacular displays.  With looks of excitement on children's faces, the sound of carolers singing familiar tunes, the taste of sweet holiday favorites and the smell of Christmas pine flooding the area, you can't help but get into the holiday spirit.  We have compiled a list of our favorite spots to view holiday lights in the DFW area.  Make the rounds and find your family's next holiday tradition!

  •         Frisco Square - Drawing over 750,000 visitors annually, Frisco Square offers North TX largest choreographed light display!  Boasting snow flurries every 15 minutes, ice skating, inner tubing snow slide, horse drawn carriage rides, light & music shows, trackless train rides & even a parachuting Santa - this place has it all!  Going on now through Dec 31st!
  •         Deerfield, Plano - Running from December 1st - 30th, this quintessential Plano neighborhood is jammed packed with gorgeous homes competing for the best, funniest & most traditional displays.  Check out their website for best routes & carriage ride info!
  •        Vitruvian Lights in Addison - Wander through Vitruvian Park’s 12 Acres and view over 550 illuminated trees wrapped in 1.5 million sparkling LED lights.  Enjoy free live music in the park, food trucks & free pictures with Santa!     
  •         Highland Park & Highland Park Village - What can I say?  Gorgeous architecture complemented by professional Christmas lighting.  Spanning about 20 blocks, this is the perfect time to splurge on a horse drawn carriage ride.
  •         Enchant Christmas - A world of Christmas wonder awaits you in Arlington at Globe Life Park! Surrounded by millions of dazzling lights, experience the world’s largest Christmas light maze, ice skating, Santa’s palace, live entertainment & a Christmas marketplace.
  •         12 Days of Christmas - The Dallas Arboretum plays host to this elaborate exhibition featuring 25ft Victorian style gazebos filled with costumed characters, whimsical animals & music made famous the beloved Christmas carol.
  •         Prairie Lights - Growing larger each year, this Grand Prairie display is located in Lynn Creek Park and has become a destination in its own right.  Offering a 2-mile path of lights, a snow maze, holiday lighted walk-through forest, holiday village, & more.  Be sure to check out their website as there are costs for this one!
  •        Interlochen in Arlington - This year marks the 42nd Anniversary of one of the largest drive-thru Christmas light displays in North TX.
  •        Tour of Lights in Farmers Branch - A drive thru animated display of over 500,000 twinkling lights. Located in the Farmers Branch Historical park with a variety of different scenes & themes.
  •        Texas Motor Speedway - Supporting Toys for Tots, this huge display boasts a drive-thru display & Santa's Village.  Be sure to check out the website for pricing!
  •        ICE & the Gaylord Texan Resort - Ice skating, gingerbread house building, sled riding, Santa photos, Holiday village, light displays, 2+ million pounds of ice, what do they not have?

Have some ideas & comments that will help our list?  We would love to hear from you! 

Thank you & we wish you a very Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday Season!

Every North TX Home Must Be Sold TWICE!

by Christie Cannon

Every Home must be Sold Twice!

Homeowners: Your House Must Be Sold TWICE | MyKCM

In today’s housing market, where supply has been low and demand high, home values have increased rapidly. Many experts are projecting that home values could appreciate by another 5%+ over the next twelve months. One major challenge in such a market is the bank appraisal.  This is a topic that you may have seen us discuss previously - Appraisals & Why Every Home Must be Sold Twice.

If prices are surging, it is difficult for appraisers to find adequate, comparable sales (similar houses in the neighborhood that recently closed) to defend the selling price when performing the appraisal for the bank.

Every month in their Home Price Perception Index (HPPI), Quicken Loans measures the disparity between what a homeowner who is seeking to refinance their home believes their house is worth, and an appraiser’s evaluation of that same home.

Bill Banfield, Executive VP of Capital Markets at Quicken Loans urges anyone looking to buy or sell in today’s market to remember the impact of this challenge:

“Based on the HPPI, it appears homeowners in the markets where prices are rising faster than the national average – like Denver, Seattle and San Francisco – are continuing to underestimate just how quickly home values are rising, so the average appraisal is higher than homeowner estimate.

On the inverse of that, homeowners in areas where the values aren’t rising as fast may think they are rising faster than they are, leading to the appraisal lagging the estimate.”

The chart below illustrates the changes in home price estimates over the last 12 months.

Homeowners: Your House Must Be Sold TWICE | MyKCM

Every house on the market must be sold twice; once to a prospective buyer and then to the bank (through the bank’s appraisal). With escalating prices, the second sale might be even more difficult than the first. If you are planning on entering the housing market this year, let’s get together to discuss this and any other obstacles that may arise.

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Photo of Christie Cannon Real Estate
Christie Cannon
Keller Williams Realty
5933 Preston Road #300
Frisco TX 75034
972-215-7747
Fax: 972-215-7748
Keller Williams Frisco - The Christie Cannon Team - http://www.christiecannon.com