The Browne + Douglas Group is now affiliated with Compass Real Estate. Cathy Browne and Beth Douglas teamed up nearly two years ago.
“We were just really impressed with all of the technology and the way that Compass seems to be so agent-driven,” Browne said. “Their technologies and all of their processes are streamlined, and it’s all about giving us more time to have with our clients.”
By Lydia Blair
Special Contributor
Title companies in Texas all offer the same basic services. And since title policy premiums are regulated by the state, there isn’t much difference in cost from one to the next. What makes one title company better than another? What keeps agents going back to their favorite escrow officers time after time?
I thought I’d survey a few Realtors. After all, they are the ones who usually choose which title company to send their real estate contracts.
After surveying dozens of agents and lenders, the No. 1 answer was great communication. To win their business, the title agency and closer must communicate quickly and frequently. This was at the top of the criteria for agents like Robin McCoy (Keller Williams), Chris Suwannetr (JP & Associates), Sheri Stout (Ebby Halliday), Erik Hargrave (PrimeLending), Kerry Slaughter (Keller Williams), Mary Anne Collins (eXp Realty), Vanessa Bamback (Haute City), Nichole Vilchis (Keller Williams), Kay Wood (Briggs Freeman Sothebys) and Phillip Walker (Keller Williams).
“They’re communicative with all parties and always one step ahead,” says Amy Timmerman (Local Resident Realty) about her favorite title company. “Updates, reminders, clear and prompt responses,” are what Lori Hudson (Ebby Halliday) appreciates about her preferred title agency.
It’s been said that your home is your castle, but our latest find in the Twin Creeks subdivision in Allen, that might just be literal.
Realtor Cathy Browne of the Browne-Douglas Group with Ebby Halliday told us that agents repeatedly have mentioned that the home at 1836 Walnut Springs Drive “looks like a castle,” so she’s embraced that thought, and is telling people they can “live like a king.”
Browne has the listing with Beth Douglas, and she told us that this home isn’t just lovely to look at — it’s also perfectly placed, right in a master-planned golf community with an amenity center, parks, playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts, hiking and biking trails, and multiple pools.
“It’s also right down the street from a top elementary school, so no more carpool!” Browne said.
And it’s not just gorgeous from the curb — this family-friendly, four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home has a versatile floor plan with multiple living areas and plenty of space for entertaining.
NAR’s recent generational survey uncovered some really interesting trends. For starters, more and more Millennials are eschewing urban life and heading for the burbs, where they can afford to buy a house. Though Millennials contributed the largest share of home buyers in 2017 at 36 percent, a shortage of single-family construction has kept aspiring homebuyers from making the move. Additionally, larger numbers of households are living a multi-generational lifestyle, with more younger Baby Boomers buying homes to house their adult children and their own parents. Even Gen X households are buying homes with the intent of having their parents under the same roof.
Now that many Millennials have started to pay down their staggering student debt, more of them are starting families. According to NAR’s report, the share of Millennials with at least one child continues to grow. But for many Millennial households in America, their desire to become homeowners combined with slow wage growth and high housing costs have pushed many out of larger cities and toward the suburbs. In fact, 52 percent of Millennial homebuyers bought larger and more affordable properties in suburban locations.
In fact, Thrillist just published a piece that speaks to this trend: “State of the Suburbs: Dallas.” Forced to look in every nook and cranny for a home they can afford, Millennials are now turning their eyes toward the close-in suburbs that might not get as much attention as the master-planned communities in Collin County, such as Duncanville, DeSoto, Garland, and Grand Prairie.
Of course, a lot of these trends speak to life in Dallas, which has a very upwardly mobile workforce and a lot of Millennials. However, are we seeing a run on suburban living? We asked some of our most-trusted Realtors to find out.
Cathy Browne and Beth Douglas joined forces, creating a power-packed team at Ebby Hallidays Allen offices.
Our readers will recognize Cathy Browne as the record-setting Allen Realtor that has dominated this Collin County ‘burb for years. But now she’s setting her sights on new territory. Part of her winning strategy to stay on top now includes another top-producing agent, as Browne and Beth Douglas have joined forces to create the Browne-Douglas Group at Ebby Halliday Realtors’ gorgeous new Allen offices.
“I am pleased to welcome Beth Douglas and Cathy Browne, who are widely known for integrity and dedication to providing clients with exceptional customer service,” said Diane Hausler, sales manager of Ebby’s Allen office. “Beth and Cathy work tirelessly to serve their clients’ best interests and offer extensive knowledge of the North Texas market.”
Even as the fall semester starts and temperatures begin to drop, North Texas real estate continues its record-setting hot streak. Out of the 300 cities studied in WalletHub’s recent report of 2017’s Best Real-Estate Markets, three local markets reigned supreme. From home appreciation, to sales turnover, to job growth, Frisco, McKinney, and Allen top the charts for the very best places to make your real estate investment. In fact, with Richardson sneaking in at No. 5, and Carrollton snagging the No. 8 spot, five of the top 10 best markets in the country are all within a handful of miles.
For long-term growth, equity, and profit, there’s no need to look beyond our own backyard!
Photos: Shoot2Sell
Sure, when you build a new home, you’re picking out all the hardware and flooring and paint, but sometimes it takes a year or so to get it just right. If you want a new home and don’t want to deal with the seemingly endless list of here-and-there projects that it takes to make a property truly livable, then you’ll love this new Allen listing from Ebby Halliday Realtor Cathy Browne.
“This home, built in 2013, offers buyers a nearly ‘new’ home with all the plantation shutters already in, landscaping in, and the energy-efficiency features by today’s standards,” Browne said.
And the price? Well, it’s just right.
Well, well, well … looks like Texas is more attractive than ever, thanks to it healthy employment rate and housing market. The Motley Fool notes that not only did Texas recover from the recession faster than most states, but it’s thriving at a more substantial clip than other metro areas. It beat Washington, North Carolina, and Colorado.
Buoyed by the oil and gas industry, Texas sailed a relatively smooth course through the financial crisis. A 2009 study by BusinessWeek put five Texas cities in the top 10 cities least effected by the recession in all of the U.S.
Today, the oil and gas industry is having some issues, but Texas remains a solid market in which to own a house. Home prices have proven strong through multiple economic cycles, and the Texas employment market remains strong.
Further, Austin, Texas, was ranked as the top local economy to raise a family in a study that considered the town’s growth, economic stability, and housing market.
But what areas in Texas are the best spots to buy? Believe it or not, it’s Collin County. Jump for more.
