The Irving Fire Department is First to Ever Be Awarded “Best Practices” Designation
Come on out and be a part of Texas Fire Service history. Tonight at the Irving City Council Meeting the Irving Fire Department will be the first fire department to ever be awarded the Best Practices designation from the Texas Fire Chiefs Association. The Best Practices Recognition Program was developed by fire service professionals from […]
The Case for Implementing Texas Fire Chiefs Association Best Practices – Part 2 – Change is Hard… So How Can We Use the Theory of Diffusion of Innovation to Help Us Improve?
Yesterday, we started by looking at a model for change that helps us understand our organizational past, where we are in the present and what our preferred future might look like if everything we did went RIGHT. (Click Here for Part 1) The TFCA Best Practices criteria provide a blue print to help us understand […]
Is An FHA-Insured Mortgage What You Need?
One of the few blessings to come out of the Great Depression was the FHA-insured loan. Although, contrary to what many think, it wasn’t created to help low-income buyers get into homeownership. Just as during our recent recession, in the Great Depression foreclosure rates skyrocketed, leaving lenders in the lurch. The FHA-insured loan was created […]
The Case for Implementing the Texas Fire Chiefs Association Best Practices – Part 1 – We’ve Never Left One Burning… Why Not Keep Doing What We’ve Been Doing?
The fire service is well respected across the country and consistently receives high praise from citizens and business alike. It is not uncommon to hear statements around the fire station like “We’ve never left one burning… Why not keep doing what we’ve been doing? The answer is: Only Different Leads to a New Destination!!! Change is hard and the fire service […]
There Are New Rules for Mortgage Pre-Approval as of January 10, 2014!!!
It is sometimes called the Qualified Mortgage (QM) Rule, other times it is called the Ability-to-Repay (ATR) Rule, either way there are new rules for mortgage pre-approvals as of January 10, 2014. Getting pre-approved for a mortgage is an essential first step in the home buying process because real estate agents and the sellers the […]
“HOA’s” and “CC&R’s” – What is My Realtor Talking About?
In the DFW Metroplex it is very difficult to find a newer home that is not part of a HOA and ALL HOA’s have CC&R’s that govern what you can and can not do to your home and property. If you’re saying “HOA’s” and “CC&R’s” – What is My Realtor Talking About? Then read on… What […]
Five Dollars, Four Screws and Fifteen Minutes & I Had a New iPhone!!!
I’ve had my iPhone 4s for a couple of years now and started having problems keeping it charged. Sometimes the battery would get to 41% and the phone would just shut down. Sometimes it would get to 20% or 12% or 3% but once it got past 40% I needed to expect it to shut […]
Spice Up Your Life… Go To ZestFest!!!
Some like it HOT!!! Do you think you can take the heat? If you want to spice up your life… Go To ZestFest!!! If you are a fiery foods aficionado you’ll want to be at the Irving Convention Center this weekend when ZestFest brings together the spiciest exhibitors and products from around the country for […]
Painting Tips to Sell Your Home Quickly
No matter how much you rearrange or decorate a room, nothing affects appearance like a fresh coat of paint. When you enter a house, your eye may be drawn to little decorative touches, but all the staging in the world will fall flat if your paint is drab, dirty, or goes against the potential buyer’s […]
If My Home Has A FHA Loan… Can I Use It As A Rental Property?
I recently had a conversation with a client who has lived in a home for 12 years with a FHA loan and they wanted to rent it out when they bought another home. They had heard that they would have to refinance to a conventional loan or pay off the FHA loan before they could use […]