Rick's Real Estate Update

What could be better than a meal with a view? Some of the area's best, trendiest restaurants offer rooftop dining experiences that you won't want to miss, with fantastic views of the city skylines and outstanding food to match. All that's left is to pick your destination and make a reservation. Our real estate agents have the delicious details on some of the best places throughout the DFW for rooftop dining.

The Henry – 2301 Akard St., Ste. 250, Dallas, TX 75201
With a well-earned great reputation for its casual vibes, chic décor, and eclectic menu, The Henry offers everything that you need to enjoy a rooftop meal in downtown Dallas. Rooftop dining here is available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a convenient location near Dallas homes for sale.

Gallery Rooftop Lounge – 1325 Botham Jean Blvd., Dallas, TX 75215
Ever wish you could enjoy a swim while savoring unique views of the Dallas skyline? Gallery Rooftop Lounge, which features a large infinity pool overlooking Dallas, allows you to do just that on the rooftop of the Canvas Hotel. The menu here is packed with delicious small plates and craft cocktails, perfect for an evening out with friends.

Terilli's – 2815 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75206
A menu highlighted by fresh spins on classic, authentic Italian cuisine is just the start of what you'll enjoy when you visit Terilli's, which has been a local favorite since it first opened its doors in 1985. The rooftop dining area is decorated like an Italian terrace, with fantastic views of downtown Dallas. Stop by on the weekend to enjoy some live jazz and a craft martini along with your meal.

HG Sply Co. – 2008 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75206
One of the most popular restaurants in Lower Greenville, HG Sply Co. has earned a strong reputation, thanks in part to its outstanding rooftop dining area. The menu here features a variety of vegan and paleo-friendly options, perfect for accommodating groups with diverse tastes. Enjoy some great apps and drinks on the rooftop patio, then head inside for a delicious entree.

Free Play Ft. Worth – 1311 Lipscomb St., Fort Worth, TX 76104
Retro gamers and arcade aficionados alike will love visiting Free Play Ft. Worth, which features scenic rooftop dining near Fort Worth homes for sale along with its vast collection of free-to-play (with admission) arcade games. Grab a table on the rooftop patio, order some delicious bar bites, then journey downstairs to the retro arcade after your meal.

Reata Restaurant – 310 Houston St., Sundance Square, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Known for its legendary lineup of perfectly prepared steaks and a rooftop dining area that's full of atmosphere, Reata Restaurant has been a local favorite for more than two decades. The rooftop features multiple dining areas, including a large, enclosed igloo and fantastic views of Sundance Square below.

Branch & Bird – 640 Taylor St., 12th Floor, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Towering above Fort Worth on the 12th floor of the Frost Tower, Branch & Bird is the perfect place to visit when you're in the mood for a cocktail with your rooftop meal. The views here are tough to top, while the wine list, craft cocktails, creative cuisine, and frequent live music are sure to keep you coming back for more.

Ready to buy or sell your next home close to all of the delicious dining options? Our team is here to help. Contact us to buy and sell homes throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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Nothing makes a house feel more like home than setting up a cozy outdoor living space. Not all patio furniture is created equal, though, which means your choice has to be a careful one. Here are a few tips from our real estate agents on how to choose the perfect outdoor furniture.

Choose the Right Size 
Sizing is important, especially if you have a small patio space. Before you start shopping for furniture, measure the space for your outdoor furniture and sketch out a quick drawing of what the space looks like, along with the measurements. Take a tape measure with you as you shop, too, so that you can measure everything rather than just eyeballing it. Outdoor living spaces are highly popular in Dallas homes for sale, but the sizes of these living spaces can vary widely, so it's important to choose your outdoor furniture specifically for your space.

Keep the Weather in Mind
Anyone shopping for Fort Worth homes for sale knows that weather is hard on outdoor furniture, so it's important to choose patio furniture with the local weather in mind. Cycles of strong sun and precipitation fade fabric, disintegrate stitching, and cause wood to crack and dry out. If your furniture is on a covered patio, shielded from sun exposure and precipitation, you won't have to worry about it as much, but if it's exposed to the weather, look for fade-resistant cushions and sturdy furniture that won't require a lot of upkeep.

Plan for Storage
Speaking of the toll weather takes on your outdoor furniture, you can reduce this by storing your patio furniture during the off-season and putting away the cushions between uses. You can purchase covers to protect your furniture, cushions, and all when you're not using it, but keep in mind that the covers will likely need to be replaced periodically due to the same weather concerns you're protecting your furniture from. Moving the furniture indoors during the off-season is an option too, but requires the storage space to do so. An outdoor storage trunk makes a great solution for storing cushions between uses and keeps everything nearby for when you need it.

Make Your Decisions Based on Comfort
There are two kinds of outdoor furniture available, and they both have their own distinct purposes: those chosen for looks and those chosen for comfort. There's nothing wrong with choosing patio furniture for looks, especially if you're staging your home for sale or setting up an idyllic tableau in your yard. But if you plan to spend a lot of time chilling on your patio, choose that furniture for comfort. Opt for big, sturdy furniture with thick cushions and a design that allows you to kick back and relax.

Balance Quality with Budget
Most of us have a budget to watch when we pick out patio furniture, but it's important not to sacrifice quality when staying within your budget, or you'll find yourself replacing your outdoor furniture much sooner than planned. Opt for heavy-duty, weather-resistant furniture with fade-resistant cushions. If this is out of your budget now, buy a piece at a time, watch for sales, or search for used furniture listed for sale in your area. High-quality furniture will be worth the investment, as it'll last for years to come.

Well-appointed outdoor living spaces are good for more than just your own personal enjoyment: They help to sell your home, too. Contact us today.

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DFW is known for serving up some of the best barbecue in the entire country, and May is the perfect time to explore what local restaurants have to offer. That's because May is National Barbecue Month, a celebration of all things smoked, grilled, or covered in barbecue sauce. So why not sample some brisket, DFW-style, in honor of National Barbecue Month? Our real estate agents have the details on some of the best restaurants for brisket and barbecue.

One90 Smoked Meats – 10240 E. Northwest Hwy., Dallas, TX 75238
Whether you're in the mood for a quick brisket sandwich near Dallas homes for sale or a full brisket to smoke in your own backyard, the team at One90 Smoked Meats has you covered. If you're spending time away from DFW, One90 Smoked meats will even ship their brisket anywhere in the country.

Heim Barbecue & Catering – 1109 W. Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth, TX 76104
A local favorite near Fort Worth homes for sale known for its smoked meats and bacon burnt ends, Heim Barbecue & Catering offers everything you need to celebrate National Barbecue Month. Stop by the riverfront location in Fort Worth to enjoy some fantastic views of the city while you dine.

Goldee's Barbecue – 4645 Dick Price Rd., Fort Worth, TX 76140
Best known for its brisket and pulled pork, Goldee's Barbecue also serves up some of the best barbecue side dishes in all of DFW. The dessert menu here is also packed with Southern favorites, so be sure to leave room for something sweet after you polish off your plate of barbecue.

Off the Bone Barbeque – 1734 Botham Jean Blvd., Dallas, TX 75215
As the name suggests, Off the Bone Barbeque serves some truly mouthwatering smoked meats, including brisket that is perfectly smoked over pecan wood. Mix in imaginative takes on some of your favorite classic barbecue sides, and it's easy to see why Off the Bone Barbeque has earned a great reputation around Dallas.

Pecan Lodge – 2702 Main St., Dallas, TX 75226
One of the most famous barbecue spots in Dallas, the Pecan Lodge will not disappoint with its lineup of brisket, ribs, fried chicken, and outstanding sides. The popularity of this restaurant means that there will often be a line when you visit, but the barbecue here is more than worth the wait.

The Slow Bone – 2234 Irving Blvd., Dallas, TX 75207
Why order just one type of meat when you can have two? The Slow Bone is famed for its two-meat plates, which allow you to combine brisket, pulled pork, smoked ribs, and other favorites, along with some distinctive sides. If you're just in the mood for a quicker bite, the open-faced sandwiches here are also tough to beat.

Cattleack Barbeque – 13628 Gamma Rd., Dallas, TX 75244
Unlike other entries on our list, Cattleack Barbeque is only open two days per week – for lunch every Thursday and Friday. But it's well worth setting aside some time at the end of your workweek to enjoy some delicious barbecue here. Order a regular brisket sandwich, or go big with the Toddfather, which combines brisket, sausage, pulled pork, and coleslaw to create a meal that can truly satisfy any appetite.

When you're ready to buy or sell your next home in DFW, our team is here to help with all of your real estate needs. Contact us to buy and sell homes throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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• Setting a soft tone for the usually busy spring season, pending home sales, which measure signed contracts on existing homes, fell 4.1% in February compared with January.
• This is the fourth straight month of declines in pending sales, which are an indicator of future closings, one to two months out.
• The median monthly payment on a new mortgage is now taking up a much larger share of a typical consumer's income. It jumped 8.3% in February compared with January.

In a grim sign for the housing market's busiest season, pending home sales, which measure signed contracts on existing homes, fell 4.1% in February compared with January, according to the National Association of Realtors.  Sales were down 5.4% compared with February 2021. Analysts were expecting a slight gain. This is the fourth straight month of declines in pending sales, which are an indicator of future closings, one to two months out.  Since this count is based on signed contracts in February, when mortgage rates really started to take off, it is a strong indicator of how the market is reacting to the new rate environment, especially as it is entering the crucial spring season.

• CNBC, March 25, 2022

Pending home sales declined in February for the fourth month in a row, as would-be buyers grapple with fewer, pricier homes to choose from and rising interest rates.  Contract signings dropped by 4.1% last month from January and were down 5.4% year over year with all four regions in the U.S. seeing a decline, according to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors.  "Pending transactions diminished in February mainly due to the low number of homes for sale," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. "Buyer demand is still intense, but it's as simple as 'one cannot buy what is not for sale.'"    Yun anticipates a 7% decline in home sales this year compared to last, and forecasts that rates will hover around 4.5% to 5% for the remainder of 2022.    "It is still an extremely competitive market, but fast-changing conditions regarding affordability are ahead," he said. "Consequently, home sellers cannot simply bump up prices in the upcoming months, but need to assess the changing market conditions to attract buyers."

• Fox Business, March 25, 2022

Rising mortgage rates are starting to take their toll on the nation's homebuilders, who are more concerned about affordability heading into the all-important spring housing market as mortgage rates surge.

Builders' sales expectations for the next six months declined a steep 10 points to 70, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. The index doesn't often see such large monthly moves. Builders' view of current sales conditions fell 3 points to 86. 

Overall, builder sentiment in the market for single-family homes dropped 2 points to 79 in March. February's read was also revised lower. Last March it stood at 82.  This is the fourth straight monthly decline and the first time the index has slipped below 80 since last September, when the delta variant of Covid-19 was spreading. Anything above 50 is considered positive sentiment.     Overall sentiment is still good, but there are concerns for later this year.

• Market Watch, March 22, 2022

The popular spring home-buying season is just ramping up. But one analyst is warning that it could be a bust.   Ian Shepherdson, chief economist and founder of research consulting firm Pantheon Macroeconomics, is predicting a dramatic fall in the pace of home sales this year. In a research note, he projected that existing-home sales will drop roughly 25% from the annual pace of 6.02 million set in February to a rate of 4.5 million by the end of summer.  

"The housing market is in the early stages of a substantial downshift in activity, which will trigger a steep decline in the rate of increase of home prices, starting perhaps as soon as the spring," Shepherdson wrote in a research note distributed Sunday.  There has been a drop in mortgage demand which typically predicts a downturn in home sales, since most buyers rely on financing to make sure a large purchase. Issues around affordability are likely to blame for the decline. 

The ripple effects of a shift in existing-home sales would be far-reaching, Shepherdson said, arguing that the pace of rent increases would eventually slow and perhaps even reverse. It also would spread to new-home sales, which he expects will likewise fall. A decrease in new-home sales would represent a downward drag on GDP, since that would implicate less demand for services tied to home-building and less spending on items like building materials and appliances. 

The bad news for any Americans who persist in trying to buy a home under these conditions is that it's less clear how this situation will ultimately impact the availability of homes for sale. Part of why home prices have surged is that there is a significant lack of inventory in the housing market, which has fueled competition for what few homes are listed for sale.  A drop in demand would seemingly lead to a boost in the inventory of homes for sale.

• Market Watch, March 22, 2022

As home prices soar, housing affordability is sinking to the lowest levels since 2008 and first-time buyers - who haven't benefited from rising home values and are also coping with rising rents - are being squeezed out.

First-time buyers accounted for 27% of existing home sales in January, according to the National Association of Realtors, near 2014 levels. With mortgage rates above 4%, around the highest in about three years, and expected to rise further, buyers on tight budgets may struggle even more to find homes they can afford.

• Reuters, March 13, 2022