Alexander Chandler Realty's Fort Worth, TX Real Estate Blog

Brief History and Today's Highlights about Weatherford, Texas

The City of Weatherford occupies an area of about Twenty-four square miles. Weatherford is positioned at the intersections of U.S. Highways 180 and 80, approximately 30 miles west of the City of Fort Worth and roughly 60 miles west of the City of Dallas. Interstate 20 runs along the City's southern border and provides primary access to Fort Worth and Dallas.

Weatherford has retained a unique identity from the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex yet its near location to this major urban region has had a strong effect. Residents find themselves with the ability to achieve a countryside standard of living without compromising the conveniences and labor market of a major metropolitan area. A number of Weatherford residents commute into the Metroplex to work.

Much of the City's economic progress is specifically attributable to its close location to the Metroplex. The City's key business employers find Weatherford appealing since it presents the benefits of convenient access to the region's key transportation and shipping infrastructure without the drawbacks related to physically locating within a huge urban location.

In the past, the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex has experienced a pretty low unemployment rate. It has additionally enjoyed the development of a diverse economic base. The outward development of Dallas/Fort Worth will influence the transition of Weatherford from its farming and ranching roots to greater urban residential, commercial, and industrial development.

The town of Weatherford incorporated in 1858 as the county seat of Parker County, and a post office was opened in 1859. The newly established county seat was half way on the stage run connecting Fort Worth and Fort Belknap. For its first 25 years Weatherford acted not only as the county seat but addionally as a safe haven for Parker County citizens, who fled to the city throughout the string of Indian raids which lasted till the early 1870s. Once the danger of Indian assaults abated, the city prospered. The tracks of the Texas and Pacific Railway reached Weatherford in 1880. 7 years after the Santa Fe line came into the city limits. In 1891 a regional line, the Weatherford, Mineral Wells and Northwestern Railway, began running. This network settled the county seat as a shopping and transport point for Parker County farmers and ranchers. In the mid-1890s Weatherford possessed an estimated population of 5,000 and 100 businesses, seven churches, a few schools, three banks, four hotels, three weekly newspapers (Weatherford Sun, Weatherford Constitution, and the Parker County News), and one institution of higher learning, Weatherford College.

Weatherford Real Estate availability.

A large amount of home buyers decide whether or not to glance inside a home or take it seriously based on its curb appeal. The curb appeal of a household is the look they look at when they drive by or show up for a showing. You can help make sure potential home buyers request to step inside your home by investing some time working on the its exterior overall look.

Producing an appealing front yard because of the use of landscaping can subtly alter the overall impact given by your residence, making it a good deal more inviting and enjoyable for your prospects and your family. Even in challenging economic times, a lovely, well-tended front yard can increase the value of your residence up-wards. When possible buyers show up at your household for a viewing, the perception of a charming lawn will instantly set them to thinking about 'coming home' to your property.

It really is difficult to look at your own residence in the similar way that possible buyers do, for the reason that when you become used to the way your home appears and functions, we cannot notice its faults. Decide right now to quit thinking of the property as a household. It is a house—a commodity you want to market for the highest dollar attainable.

The next time you come home, stop across the road or significantly enough down the driveway to have a good view of the home and its natural environment. Just what is your very first impression of the residence and yard? What are the most desirable exterior attributes of the household or property? Exactly how can you strengthen them? Just what are the ugliest exterior elements of the house hold or property? How can you lessen or fix them?

Make a list of the problem areas you found. Take on clean up and repair jobs to begin with, then set some time into tasks that make the landscaping more beautiful. Kill mold and mildew on the home, sidewalks, roofing, or driveway. Clear away unneeded garden accessories and gear. Clear home windows and gutters. Pressure wash soiled house siding and run down decks. Tidy up sidewalks and take away weeds growing between cement or bricks. Trim the grass. Get rid of weeds. Rake and get rid of leaves, whether or not your yard has a lot of trees. Cut tree braches that are close to or in contact the house's roofing.

Carry out your curb appeal exercise again at dusk, mainly because it is not unusual for possible home buyers to drive by properties in the evening. One speedy way to enhance evening curb appeal is by working with illumination. Set up landscape lighting doesn't just increase curb appeal but it also can make you household less dangerous and improves home valuation. Landscape lighting need not be luxuriant or highly-priced to make an impressive result. Chain low voltage lighting alongside your driveway, sidewalks, and close to crucial landscaping components. Add a ornamental street light fixture to your front entrance. Make sure that lighting is seen through front doors and windows improves the house's look.

Now there are instances that bringing components to your landscaping can improve curb appeal, however there are other circumstances when elliminating something is much more valuable. Most prospective buyers can not picture adjustments, and often will not take a 2nd look at a house if the first look doesn't appeal to them. Potential buyers who can visualize modifications, and are equipped to make them expect you to lessen the price of the real estate to compensate for the work they plan to accomplish.

If you brainstorm, you are going to find that there's a alternative to most complications—one that lets you keep within your resources. The strategy is to find the places where enhancements are needed, then work on them as best you can. Things you need to bear in your head are the amount of room accessible, the height of fences and preserving walk ways and window zones clear, together with the time of year, weather situations and color combinations. Regardless of the plants or flower you decide to place, whether it's flowers to cover ground, foliage to fill space or vines to climb fences, it will almost certainly increase the worth of your home by a great deal more than the cost of the landscaping itself.

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One of the hardest items for a home buyer to do is to basically choose the best house. Far too frequently can impluse choices interfere with the "best decision". Being able to take a step back and really ponder whether this is the best suited house for you can be challenging. Is the property you have fallen in love with actually the best house for your desires and way of life? We have put together a list of things to support you to look past those staging methods and other cosmetic items that can unproportionally affect your decision.

Looking for a house can be a lot of fun, especially when many appealing homes are on the market. But before you make an offer on the one that's captured your affections you will need to evaluate the home against some different forms of criteria. This will ensure that you purchase a home and you not only love, but can grow in and enjoy.

Lets start off with the big one, price. Just because you can buy a more expensive home isn't going to mean you necessarily should do so. The more money you spend on mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowner's insurance, and repair and maintenance costs, the less you'll have to spend on your other wants and needs. Do some research on being house poor. You don't want to be the person who has that giagantic luxurious home with only a fold-out chair and card table. Additionally, you don't want a home that requires too many monthly bills to maintain your lifestyle.

The price can often be tied to the size of the home. Square footage is important, but so are the relative sizes of the various rooms and the use of space throughout the house. A staircase, multiple hallways or odd alcoves could make a large house seem smaller than its square footage. Check out the closets too. Let's not forget the Floor Plan. Some homes have an efficient and pleasing arrangement of rooms while others have odd configurations that may seem maze-like or dictate inconvenient traffic patterns. A two-story house can offer more living space for those who don't mind the extra effort every day. So, a more pricey home with an inconvenient floor plan may not be best suited for you. However, it is important to note that there is always the "potential" factor. If you're willing to do some remodeling and work you may see opportunities to turn a poor floor plan into something amazing. Construction and work may not be up your ally, so take a close look at the condition of the house as well.

A stylish, well-maintained home will cost more than a similar house that's not in good shape. If you don't mind hiring contractors or making repairs yourself, you might be able to buy that less-attractive house at a discount. Otherwise, you might prefer to purchase a house that's in good condition.

Where the residence is located can really affect the charm and character. However, good character can offset a slightly less desirable location. Some neighborhoods are citified while others are suburban or rural. Some have matured with the passage of time while others are brand new. Some are staid while others are funky. Choose a location to live that suits your personality and lifestyle. Just remember that location is not something that money can correct. Be sure to drive through the neighborhood and surrounding areas thoroughly. Look for how close it is to dining destinations or for less desirable businesses that deter investment into the area to increase the value of the location.

Going along with location you'll need to investigate the zoning. Local laws set limits on the number and size of housing units that can be built on residential lots. That means some areas may be open to mansion-sized homes or higher-density housing while other may have restrictions that prohibit such uses. The zoning can greatly affect the type of construction you can do on your lot. A house that's next to a shopping mall, school, park, transit stop or other non-residential use may or may not be desirable, depending on your preferences. A home on a corner lot might be larger and more private than neighboring homes, but could also be subject to more traffic noise.

Any problem that would be outrageously expensive or impossible to fix is called an "incurable defect." Examples include an airplane flight path, bizarre floor plan, inadequate parking or inordinately loud traffic noise. Don't buy a home with an incurable defect unless you're willing to live with that condition as long as you occupy that home.

Some houses are plagued by wood-eating bugs, high levels of radon, molds, lead-based paint or other potential hazards. If you're concerned about any of these conditions, hire a qualified expert to inspect the house. Find out whether the house is located in a flood plain or a high fire-risk area. You'll find these out relatively quickly when you look at home owner's insurance. Additionally, be sure that you hire a reputable home inspector to look for insect damage, especially termites and mold. These can usually be found relatively quickly.

Have a great time looking for your next house. Pay attention to the details and always ask questions. If you follow some of this advise and do your homework you should find yourself in a great place.

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Being house poor has little to do with the cost of your house. You might live in a stylish residence valued at $3 million, and you would still be considered house poor if your house takes up a disproportionate ammount of your income. Generally, you're perceived as house poor if you devote too much on your house payments and home repair. But what exactly is too much?

While you can find some rules of thumb by which lenders assess the reasonableness of your real estate costs, the valuation of your property and the ammount of your mortgage payment are only half of the picture.

You're deemed house poor if your housing costs keep you from:

* Saving the equivalent of 3 to six months earnings in an unexpected emergency money reserve account
* Setting money aside for your retirement
* Acquiring a diversified investment account
* Budgeting for various other life events, such as paying for your child's education and learning
* Choosing the furniture you want for your new home, or eating at any place other than in your new kitchen

If you're considering buying a home, do some quick planning to prevent becoming house poor. Talk with a financial specialist who can help you clarify your objectives and come up with a strategy for reaching them. Review your budget with an eye toward lowering discretionary charges and saving more toward your goals.

As you go through the mortgage preapproval procedure, see just how much you are eligible for on the basis of just your normal yearly earnings, without considering overtime, bonuses, part-time employment, or alimony or child support you receive. That way, even though you may not meet the criteria for as significant a mortgage as you would otherwise, you'll be in a healthier position to pay for the home you buy, and you'll prevent the additional stress of constantly juggling your financial obligations.

Be very cautious about using imaginative financing measures, such as interest-only mortgages or optional ARMs, to purchase more property than you can really pay for. If home valuation increases decline and interest rates heat up, you could find yourself stuck between the rock of making the mortgage payment every month and the hard place of not being able to sell the residence for enough to cover paying back the loan that secures it. You don't want to lose your home to foreclosure because you bit off more now than you can chew.

Finally, resist the urge to buy a house with an eye toward making a killing in just a few years on its expected appreciated value. Think of your residence as a necessity--a place to live -- as opposed to a speculative investment.

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You've found the home, your offer has been agreed on, and funding is ready. But before you start packing, be sure you engage a skilled home inspector to make sure your house doesn't have any big defects that could cost you down the road.

A home inspection normally includes an evaluation of heating and central air conditioning systems, inside plumbing, electrical systems, the roofing, attic, visible insulation, walls, ceilings, floors, windows, foundations, and basements. Inspections may also consist of appliances and exterior plumbing.

After the inspector examines the house, he or she will write up a report with conclusions. If there are any big problems, you'll ought to make a deal with the seller to either reduce the sale amount of the house, or decide how the condition will be fixed.

When you make an offer it is wise to have a contingency clause relying on the house inspection. In other words, if the inspector finds $10,000 worth of concerns and the seller doesn't want to offer the fix, you can revoke your offer.

In fact, 2 in 5 resale residences will have at least one significant deficiency that could cost you from a few hundred dollars to as much as $15,000 to restore, based on the 2009 HouseMaster Resale Home Deficiencies Study.

Investing a few hundred dollars for a residence inspection is well worth the peace of mind.

If you don't know how or where to locate a home inspector, be wary about asking your real estate agent. The American Society of Home Inspectors is a good place to begin. All certified members have conducted at the least 250 inspections and have passed 2 written proficiency exams. They must also adhere to standards of practice, continuing education courses, and code of ethics.

ASHI advises you interview a few inspectors before choosing one. Several of the questions you should ask include:

# What does the inspection include? Ensure the inspection and the inspection survey meet all relevant specifications and comply with the ASHI Standards of Practice.

# How long have you been in the practise and how many homes have you inspected? Again, ASHI Members are required to have completed at least 250 paid professional home inspections and passed 2 written examinations that analyze the inspector's knowledge.

# Are you specifically knowledgeable in housing inspection? The reply really should be yes. If someone says they have specialized instruction in something such as construction or engineering but not in housing inspection, you may well want to proceed to the next choice.

# Does the inspector's firm offer to perform repairs or improvements based on the inspection? The answer should constantly be no. This is in opposition to the ASHI Code of Ethics because it may result in a conflict of interest.

# How long will the inspection take? The average for a single inspector is 2 to 3 hours for a typical single-family household; anything much less might not be enough time to do a in depth inspection. Some inspection firms send a group of inspectors and the time frame might be faster.

# How much will it cost? Costs differ a great deal based on the area, dimensions of the house, scope of services and additional factors. A standard range is likely to be $300-500, but look at the value of the residence inspection in terms of the investment being made.

# Does the inspector create a written statement? Ask to look at samples and determine whether you fully grasp the report.

# Does the inspector recommend the client to attend the inspection? This is a beneficial educational occasion for you to understand how things work around what may just be your home, and the inspector may point out things that do not quite merit a mention in the survey but which you need to keep an eye on. An inspector's refusal to let you to be present must raise a red flag.

Lastly, once you have located an inspector you like, ask him/her for personal references, then follow up and get in touch with those clients. 2 essential questions - whether they uncovered any serious defects after the close of escrow that the inspector overlooked, and whether they would work with the inspector ever again.

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It really is almost certainly saying the obvious to say that it's a hard, difficult real estate market place out there, and, if you’re presently marketing your house, you can use any kind of competitive advantage. Trained home stagers can help you get it. Part interior designer, part closet organizer, and part magician, they offer help on upping the appeal of your residence by sprucing up your rooms—all without any serious renovations or shelling out of big cash. Generally, a home stager's task is to maximize your space, making spaces appear more substantial and really feel more appealing (and desirable) with just a few wise design tweaks.

Here are some inexpensive and relatively speedy and easy ways to stage your home for the greatest outcomes. You don't have to spend a fortune remodeling your house to ensure a speedy sale at the best price. Some of the most effective fix-ups are also the best value for money. To determine the projects that make the most sense, set off by touring your place with fresh eyes, as if you were a prospective buyer. Drive or walk around the block up to your household and see how it feels from the block. Walk up to the front entry and take a look around. You can certainly ask a trustworthy friend to aid you recognize problems, mess and strange odours that you've long since quit noticing. Keep a pen and pad handy to list the plans that need to be worked on.

Stowing away knick knacks, heirlooms and family photos helps depersonalize your home, which is actually a beneficial thing: You want potential buyers to picture themselves living in your residence instead of being distracted by your personalized effects. Hide anything at all—family photographs, prizes, trophies, your collections—that might get in the way with a buyer feeling like your house could be theirs. People today get really distracted when they’re surrounded by someone else’s individual stuff. Make your bath look like a hotel’s: no one wants to see your used soaps, tooth brush and razor. Put all your beauty goods in a shower caddy, so they can effortlessly be stowed underneath the sink when you have a showing.

You need to move anyhow, so why not secure a head start and try to make your house hold appear larger by packing away at least one-third of your stuff? Most men and women have too much goods, whether it’s garments or paperwork or home furniture. The end goal is to produce a impression of open space in a home—and in all your closets. Fight the craving to push all your stuff in your storage areas, since you have to be ready for likely bidders to expose every last cupboard. An organized dresser can give out the message that as the home owner, you’re the kind of character who doesn’t slack on any aspect (a leaking roof, a busted water heater) of the maintenance of your propetry. Think of renting a short-term space for storing rather than cramming your packed boxes in your cabinets or shed, which will make them seem smaller.

No one wants to walk into a dusty household. Bathing rooms and kitchens in particular should be glowing. Don’t just do a spot scrub—give consideration to nonvisual corners like the nook behind a potty or the inside of your refrigerator. You never know where families are going to peek. Use air fresheners, candles, and other ways to do away with any scents, and ask a neighbor over to make sure that there are no left over fragrances, since residing there may make you immune to the stench. Only about a 1 / 3 of People in the usa dwell with house animals, so to be sure you’re not alienating the other two thirds of the People in america, clear away all traces (leashes, kitty litter boxes, dog furniture) of animals. Dig out the filth. You can do it on your own or hire a crew for a day, but a strong cleaning is necessary for a good first memory. It's also essential to continue the maintanence so long as your house is on the market, which will most likely mean a regular dusting and vacuum session. Bathrooms and the kitchen should be kept pristine.

You aim to have as much light as possible shining in your space. Get started by cleaning the house windows. Pitch the screens, which just add one more darkening layer. For the period of an open house, make sure your shades are raised. Verify to see if all your bulbs are functioning, and exchange low-watt lights with high-watt ones to ensure the place feels well-lit. While we already discussed this topic, this is another excellent time to uncover bad aromas. Air out your home by opening the house windows not less than once a day (or, in terrible weather conditions, by working all your air conditioning). Don't make smelly or oily meals, which stay in the home. If you have pet cats, clear the litter box at least once a day. Use potpourri or bake snacks before buyers come by to give your place a "cozy" smell.

Walls are the bones of your home, and it’s seriously important to be certain they seem to be clean. Painting is fairly low-cost if you do it yourself, and may have a big impact on the way your home feels. Stay clear of non-neutral shades like red, purple, or loud yellow, since they will not appeal to the majority of individuals. White can feel stark and cooler, which doesn’t do anything to add to the appeal of a room. Try comfortable beige tones or other neutral hues. If you've painted or wallpapered in past years, you may possibly be able to get away with just cleaning your walls.

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 Previous to the appearance of Anglo settlers, great herds of buffalo and members of the Wichita, Caddo, Comanche and Lipan Apache Indian tribes roamed the Benbrook area. Archeologists approximate that the region has been lived on for some 11,000 years. Indian tribes seek out similar environmental resources as modern cities, with the supply of an adequate water supply being a essential concern. Without doubt, the intersection of the Clear Fork-Trinity River and Mary's Creek made available such a watering place to tribes as they passed through the region on hunting expeditions.

Anglos initially settled the Benbrook location, part of the Peters' Colony established by the Republic of Texas, in the 1850s. W.S. Peters of Kentucky was granted a deal to draw in 250 families per year by providing 320 acres free of charge to household men and 160 acres to single immigrants, plus a free cabin, seed and musket balls.

A branch of the "Old Chisholm Trail" apparently passed through the area, crossing Mary's Creek at Old Rawhide Crossing in the location of the current Z.Boaz Park, and functioned as a route to avoid the primary trail route through downtown Fort Worth. A branch trail, referred to as the Long Trail or Cleburne Cut-Off, extended from Raw Hide Crossing to Cleburne and reduced the trip by 13 miles.

In 1876, local citizen James M. Benbrook petitioned the Texas & Pacific Railroad to build a rail station along Mary's Creek close to Miranda as the railroad left out of Fort Worth. The line was completed to Benbrook in May 1880 and the rail station was named after Benbrook Station by the railroad.

By the turn of the Century, some of the initial transportation routes were set up that continue used today, as shown on a U.S. map from 1894. The Texas and Pacific Railroad is today run by Union Pacific and travels along Mary's and Walnut Creeks.

The main settlement of Benbrook, situated inside of a four-block area near the railroad station, was located near the present intersection of Interstate Highway 20 and U.S. Highway 377 alongside Aledo Rd. The community was gotten to from the east along the present Old Benbrook Road and Stove Foundry Road (now known as Vickery). Winscott-Plover Road extended south along its present route to Dutch Branch, now sunken by Benbrook Lake. A road extended east from Winscott-Plover Road close to the present Mercedes Street to cross the Clear Fork. Evidence of this county road are still apparent on undeveloped property north of Timber Creek.

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Making your home air tight is one of the most cost effective ways to increase energy efficiency. Regardless of how good your home is insulated, if there are cracks and spaces, the air you just paid to heat or cool will quickly be lost. But air sealing is easy and fairly cheap as long as you know what areas to check out. In this article we primarily look at the use of caulk to make quick repairs to leaky areas. Best of all, you do not need to be an skilled craftsman to be able to do this. One note of caution though that this is not the best afternoon activity to do with your kids.

Caulk can be quite tacky and messy and can quickly ruin some nice clothes. Leave the painting and garden activities for your kids. As the seasons and the weather changes, cracks and gaps will expand and tighten allowing unwanted air to infiltrate, conditioned air to leak and moisture to leak into the home. This can trigger a number of problems such as mildew, drafts, and heat loss in the winter season or gain in the summer. This expansion and contraction can also lead to other more cosmetic problems such as cracking paint or trim slighly moving.

Leaks can be closed with caulk, spray foam or even just simply weather stripping dependent on the problem area. A good general guideline is to use caulk for spaces smaller than 1/4-inch, and foam for larger cracks and gaps, though each condition may vary. With the foam there are two popular ones at the your hardware store in blue and red cans. One expands much more than the other. Be careful to not use the one that expands more in tight spaces as it can literally push apart things. So, for windows and door trim, unless the gaps are huge, it generally best to go with the less expansive one. We'd recommend checking these areas in your home:

On the exterior of your home windows and doors are almost always a problem area. Insulate around the frame with your low expanding foam insulation. You can also caulk at the frame and drywall/trim intersection. For your windows you may consider adding storm windows to single pane units as this will help with the windows preserving temperature whether it be cold or hot. Another key area are wall penetrations such as pipes, vents, exhausts, air intakes, etc. You will want to caulk around the perimeter of all exterior wall penetrations. Finally, take a look at your trim as it can often be inproperly installed. Caulk around the perimeter of trim, and trim/siding intersections.

As we switch into the interior of your home we'll start with your windows and doors just as we did with the outside tasks. Windows and doors will need to be caulked at the frame and drywall/trim intersection. For the doors, weather stripping can make a huge difference around all sides of the door trim. For your windows the usual suspect is the seal at the bottom of the window and the window frame. Here you can install weather stripping if needed. A common missed area is your attic access point if it is on the interior of your living areas. This is an easy area to add insulation and/or gaskets/weather stripping.

Moving into your bathroom we will attack your tubs and showers. Caulk at shower/tub and wall intersection and around the plumbing fixture border. Be sure to look at the pipes and ductwork for your toilets and sinks. Caulk any kind of wall penetrations and wrap hot or cold water pipes with insulation which is pretty easy to do. Do not forget to tape all your duct joints and seams. You may need to go under your home if you have a crawl space for the pipes. For the other common areas of the house don't forget your lights, outlets, light switches and your fireplace if you have one.

For the outlets and switches you can install a very simple gasket that fits behind the plate and you can fill in the area behind the plate and around your electrical plate with low-expanding foam. For your lights you can caulk around the trim. If possible you should install light fixtures or housings that are labeled as airtight fixtures. Finally, your fireplace is generally best tackled by sealing the chimney when it is not being used. You can do this with your damper being set to closed or, you can install an inflatable chimney balloon blocker. You may want to consider installing gasketed doors to the fireplace opening.

We briefly touched on the basements and crawlspaces while we were wrapping the hot and cold water pipes. While you're under there, caulk or foam at the foundation wall & rim joist intersection and seal any cracks or joints in the foundation walls.

Most older homes will not have the issues of being too airtight, as there is always bound to be enough cracks and air leaks to keep a healthy level of fresh air circulation. If you are concerned with this issue, or are building a new tight home, you can install outside air intakes to be connected to your HVAC to bring in a steady exchange of new and stale air.

If you're unsure about where you need sealing, you can try the DIY method of inspecting your house with a lit incense stick — first turn off your HVAC and any running fans and close all windows and doors, then take the lit stick near any suspect leak, if the incense smoke is sucked in or taken away then you've confirmed your leak. Also, if you see any unclean spots on attic insulation, or dirt around any perimeter wall, door or window, then you more than likely have a leak. An even better confirmation would be to get an energy audit, an auditor/inspector can do a telephone number of tests and even use infrared cameras to identify leaks, moisture and air infiltration and not enough insulation. In some areas of the country it is common for the electric providers to this audit free of charge. However, an independent audit professional will generally be more experienced and be able to recommend local resources or companies to address the individual problem areas.

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