The local church youth group made these dog houses!  Great Video.  Below are pictures of the scouts and the dog house build project they worked on.  Black Dog Real Estate, Inc. was involved in the scouting project, and we are continuing our partnership with PALs and the scouts by helping sponsor the scouts in building cat enclosures this year.  If you or anyone you know has a passion for helping out the scouts and want to make a donation to this project please contact Justin Padgett or Sharri or you can make a donation directly to PALs.

Chapter 92 of the Texas Property codes addresses property code for rental properties. Landlords or property managers are fully responsible for understanding and complying this state code. There is a website dedicated to helping people understand the Texas property code better at http://texaspropertycode.org.

Texas Property Code Chapter 92

You’ve probably heard that making an extra mortgage payment per year is a good thing. But how good?  Will it really make a big difference in your financial future?

In most cases, YES!  Any extra payments made to your loan will 1) cut the length of the mortgage and 2) cut the amount of interest you pay over the life of the loan.  You will build equity faster, which will also make you more appealing to future lenders.

Consider this: for a 30-year loan of $200,000 at 5%, your monthly payment may be approximately $1,074.  Making an extra payment per year, you typically could pay off your mortgage 4 years and 9 months ahead of schedule, while saving about $35,000.

To calculate your actual payment information, use our Mortgage Extra Payment Calculator on our website here: johndunn.XSellerate.com

Before you decide to make an extra payment, though, consider how else you might use this money.  For example, if you have unsecured debt in high-interest credit cards, you may choose to attack that debt first.  Also, it may be wise to make sure you are taking advantage of any “matching” benefits that you have with your 401k before you consider extra mortgage payments.

If you have decided that making an extra payment is the way to go, but can’t afford to plop down one whole payment, consider breaking your extra payment into 12 monthly chunks.  You are still getting the benefits of making an extra payment, just in smaller, more manageable bites.

Paying off your mortgage early through one extra payment per year is a smart financial move, but be sure that you’ve paid off your highest interest loans first and fully funded any matching retirement accounts.  If you decide to pay monthly, or make one extra large payment per year, be sure to ask your lender how to make extra payments so they will reduce the principal amount on your loan.  This extra payment can dramatically reduce your repayment period and save you a lot of money over the life of your loan.

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Cool front is coming in!  You will want to keep those pesky critters out while keeping your warm air in!  This will help your out with your utilities by up to 30 percent. 

Seal air leaks around your windows and doors to prevent wasting precious home heating and cooling energy that costs you money.