Custom Real Estate Blog

What are the key ingredients for a great childhood? 1. One-on-One Time in the Kitchen . The time it takes to prepare a meal is the time we have some special moments with our kids .  Making cookies together is a sure way to get their undivided attention! 2. Neighborhood Pals.   Give your kids a safe place to play and develop the friendships that stick with us for a lifetime.  There is no better feeling than finding out one of your friends from school lives just a few houses down the street! 3. A Guest Room!   Give Grandma & Grandad a place to stay when they are in town.  Big breakfast with everyone sitting around the table, those are some precious moments! 4. Adopt a Family Dog!   Your new family member will love playing with the kids in the backyard or going on walks around the neighborhood.  Protection, companionship, puppy kisses... that's the good life. 5. Don't Pay for Storage Anymore! Put all the extra family "stuff" you have in the att

It's not an exaggeration to say it, as we can consistently deliver on this based on our local housing market.  It's science, with some math mixed in.   Sooo let's dive into the adventure that is...Getting a Free Pool. Hypothesis:  Prove that it is MUCH CHEAPER to buy a pre-existing home that already has a pool, instead of buying a home then adding the pool.  Especially in the winter! First off... How much does a new pool cost? Well, I found a local company on Google that has an online calculator for quotes.  I stayed away from Angies's List, Home Advisor, etc who had pricing guides that were wildly inaccurate.  But based on the estimator at Custom Outdoor Trends in Rockwall, an average pool with a spa costs 50-70k based on the different choices I made pretending to be a pool shopper.  Let's use 60k as our verified plug and play number for the purposes of this exercise. The Buying Options We Tested: Fixer-upper that already has a great pool.