Ashton Gustafson of The Bishop Realtor Group is proud to announce the launching of www.CanyonTrailsHomes.com . If you or anyone you know is looking for a home in the Canyon Trails addition of Wichita Falls, see www.CanyonTrailsHomes.com .

Ashton continues to lead the Wichita Falls Real Estate market in a modern approach with technology.

www.TexomaListings.com - For Buyers

www.TexomaHomeValue.com - For Sellers

Moving can be extremely stressful especially if you have children. It is important to be aware of the things that may be a concern to your children when making a move.

A few areas of concern for children when making a move may include:

• Preschool children tend to worry about being left behind or separated from their parents.
• Kids aged 6 to 12 can be concerned with how their daily routines will be affected.
• Teenagers are concerned primarily with fitting in and having their social life disrupted.

A way to ease these concerns may include:

• Communicating with your child about what the new house will be like.
• Take them on a visit of the new home and neighborhood (if possible)
• If you can, visit the school with your child and meet some of the teachers.

Involving your children in the move can help make the transition easier. Your kids can be a great help to you and the move if you involve them such things as:

• Packing some of their own special belongings, and decorate the box with stickers and markers.
• Make plans together on how to decorate their new room.

There is a lot to consider during a move and by involving your children you just may relieve the stress your children are feeling, reduce your own stress and be able to focus more on other aspects of your move!

Planning on moving to Wichita Falls? Go to www.TexomaListings.com for every home within your criteria as they come on the market.

If you would like a relocation packet for Sheppard Air Force Base or Wichita Falls, please call me at 940.224.0881.

SAFB to get huge personnel influx

Trish Choate/Times Record News Washington Bureau
Originally published 05:08 p.m., January 8, 2009
Updated 05:08 p.m., January 8, 2009

Website Information

 Provided by:

ASHTON GUSTAFSON

THE BISHOP REALTOR GROUP

TexomaHomeSource.com

TexomaListings.com

TexomaHomeValue.com

TexomaForeclosure.com

CanyonTrailsHomes.com

LakeWellingtonHomes.com

BrookVillageHomes.com

CountryClubCottages.com

WFCountryClubHomes.com

FallsOnTheMove.com

WFNewHomes.com

Are you looking to move in Wichita Falls to the historic Country Club or Country Club Cottage section? Ashton Gustafson, of the Bishop Realtor Group, has launched two new sites for both buyers and sellers in these areas: www.WFCountryClubHomes.com and www.CountryClubCottages.com .

If you have any questions about the homes available for sale in this area, please email ashton @ ashton@bishoprealtors.com or call at 940.224.0881.

Another great site is www.TexomaListings.com - FAST - FREE - AUTOMATED home searches.

Ashton Gustafson

Wichita Falls Realtor

940.224.0881 cell

Wichita Falls Market Trends

Mortgage Rates Drop!

The Federal Reserve pushed interest rates lower in December, and mortgage rates quickly followed. According to Freddie Mac, the national average for a conventional 30-year fixed-rate loan fell from 6.1 percent in November to 5.19 percent in late December, the lowest rate on record dating back to 1971. The Fed's actions reflect the government's ongoing commitment to stabilize the economy.

In other news, existing home sales decreased according to a December report published by the National Association of REALTORS (NAR). Existing home sales activity was revised downward to 4.49 million units, representing a 10.6 percent decrease from the same time a year ago. Existing-home sales include single family homes, townhomes, condos, and co-ops.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, expected a decline and added, "We hope the home sales impact from the stock market crash turns out to be short-lived, as was the case in 1987 and 2001."

Despite the overall decline in sales across the country, rising activity in California, Nevada, Arizona and Florida markets seems to signal a renewed interest in these areas, as bargain hunters take advantage of discounted homes.

Total housing inventory rose 0.1 percent in November to 4.20 million existing homes for sale. This representing an 11.2-month supply, up from a 10.3-month supply the month before.

Selling in a Buyer's Market

Even in a slower market, the good homes go fast! Smart sellers are realizing that a proactive selling strategy can go a long way in getting their home sold, even when inventories are high. Here are three tips for today's sellers:

1. Price your home right. Markets change, so don't be influenced by last year's selling activity and home prices. Buyers will evaluate your home based on what others are selling for today, so make sure you know the market and price your home accordingly.
2. Make your home shine. Buyers like to envision a home they can move right into. Clean carpets, fresh paint, and a nicely landscaped yard can go a long way to make perspective buyers feel at home.
3. Anticipate the selling season. Many sellers wait for the market to pick up before they place their home for sale, but smart sellers anticipate these seasonal adjustments and list their homes early in the sales cycle. Give yourself the best opportunity by placing your home on the market before everyone else does!

Whether you're looking to sell today or are thinking of selling tomorrow, please feel free to call and ask for a computer analysis of our recent market activity. We would be more than happy answer any questions you might have.

www.TexomaListings.com - For Buyers

www.TexomaHomeValue.com - For Sellers

How much home can you really afford? The first step in buying a home is to have a budget and figure out how much you can actually afford. Your agent or lender can help you with this in a couple of ways:

•  Pre-qualifying process This process will give you a general "estimate" of what you will be able to afford.

• Pre-approval process This process will allow your lender to review your finances in more detail in order to determine the amount of money they agree to loan you for your home purchase.

Your lender will review your finances and focus on a few main areas such as:

• Gross monthly income
• Credit history
• Amount of outstanding debts
• Source and amount of money available for down payment and closing costs
• Interest rates, etc.

All these things put together will help your lender determine two important qualifying ratios.

1. Debt-to-Income Ratio Generally the amount of debt you pay each month should not exceed 36 percent of your gross monthly income
2. Housing Expense Ratio Most lenders will not approve your loan if the mortgage payment exceeds 28 to 33 percent of your gross monthly income

These are the first steps in determining how much you can afford when purchasing a new home. For more mortgage and finance information feel free to visit Texoma Home Source

12-29-2008 From American National Bank

Wichita Falls Texas Real Estate

GOVERNMENT  LOAN PRODUCTS

FHA/VA 

5.000% 0.00 +0.00     30 YR 

5.000% 0.00 +0.00     15 YR 

CONVENTIONAL LOAN PRODUCTS

(All Conventional Quotes assume a min. credit score of 740)

(Rate lock in fee required on these rates – Call for details)

FIXED RATE  ($50,000 MIN – $417,000 MAX) 

5.375% 0.00 + 0.00     30/20 YR 

5.000% 0.00 + 0.00     15/10 YR

INFORMATION PROVIDED TO REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS & IS NOT

AN ADVERTISEMENT TO EXTEND CREDIT UNDER REG Z

RATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 

RATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

Rates posted are based on owner occupied properties – 30 day quote

As we approach the last few days of 2008, I would like to take the time to recap the year that was. The Bishop Team was up 5% and I was personally up 27% in a down market. I hit my goal that I set out for 3 years ago. What an honor it was and has been to be named the "Rising Star" for the Wichita Falls Association of Realtors and be selected into a group of the country's top Real Estate agents, Howard Brinton's STARS. And, www.TexomaHomeSource.com was launched and has proved to be the most technologically advanced website for Real Estate in North Texas.
 
None of this would have been possible without the following people: Brynn, Ann, Denny, Deanna, my family, mentors, friends, clients, and vendors. These people are the lifeblood to what I do.
 
We find ourselves in a very fortunate area of the country. While most of the nation is facing terrible loss, we have stayed the course. Wichita Falls has and will always be a safe long term investment in terms of Real Estate. Interest rates are at an all-time low, and our inventory of property is screaming with opportunity.
 
If you have any questions or concerns within the realms of Real Estate in Wichita Falls, please call or email me. I am more than excited about what 2009 will be.

Thinking of Selling - www.TexomaHomeValues.com

Thinking of Buying - www.TexomaListings.com