Another mall in Frisco?

General Growth Properties, the company behind Frisco's very successful Stonebriar Centre mall in South Frisco has plans for an "open air mall" at the southwest corner of 380 and the North Dallas Tollway.

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Money Magazine's Best Places to Live

I was looking at Money magazine's 2006 "Best Places to Live" issue online, and noticed that Frisco did not make the list. In fact, nearby cities like Plano and Richardson made the list. So I'm perplexed - why didn't Money Magazine like Frisco? As a life long resident of the Dallas area, let me be one to protest, that it should have!

However, Frisco was compared in the site.

Here's some interesting tidbits:
The Family Purchasing Power of a Frisco resident was $96,470, compared to Money Magazine's Best Cities average purchasing power of $68,109. That means residents of Frisco can purchase an additional $28,361 by living in Frisco, than in Money's Best Cities in America! Perhaps Frisco should advertise this "Move to Frisco, get $28,000 more!"

Job Growth was 52.98%! Now, granted, that's in percentages, but still, quite impressive. Job growth is usually a very high factor for real estate investors. Money's Best Citie's averaged 10.97%

Home Price Gain for 2004-2005.... 7.8% compared to Money's Best Average of 9.26%. Yes, we're lower here, but 7.8% is actually very high for a Dallas exurb. I would guess that the Home Price Gain has actually increased since then, due to the increase in high end homes and the near completion of the North Dallas Tollway.

The Property Crime Index for Frisco was actually high at 105, vs. Money's Best Cities average of 74. Could this have kept Frisco off the list? Is Frisco a safe place to live? Personally, I'd say very safe. From what I understand, there are two problems relating to the high larceny rate.
First, Frisco is having a hard time keeping up with its rapid growth, and does need more police officers. Second, Frisco has a lot of shopping, which always results in more parking lot thefts, and, o.k., I have third...a lot of the theft is from new home construction, which Frisco also is abundant in. I have personally been one of those property crime victims since my move here 4 years ago, but on average, Frisco residents experience less crime than the rest of the Money's "Best" Cities. Frisco has 143 personal crime incidents per 100,000 residents, vs. Money's Best Cities average of 228. That's 37% less crime in Frisco. By the way, Frisco just recently opened a spectacular new Police station. (pictured)

Frisco scored high in the number of Movie theaters, with 43 within a 15 mile drive, compared to the Money Best Cities' average of 22.

If you're a drinker, Frisco may not be the place for you..at least, if you're a public drinker. Frisco had 17 bars within a 15 mile drive, compared to 127 on Money's Best Cities' average. I guess this is good news if you have kids and bad news if you make a regular practice of "tying one on."

Here's one for you, if you live in Frisco, TX, you are more than 50% less likely to die of a Cardiac related death, than in Money Magazines Best Places to live in 2006. Perhaps Money should stipulate that their "Best" places are only "Best" if you do, in fact, live....

If it turns out that you think Frisco might be one of the best places to live, or even Richardson or Plano, please give me a call and I'll help you find one of the best homes to live in!
Brian Marsh, Realtor - 214.520.4188 www.BrianMarshGroup.com







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Homebuilders expect fewer home starts in 2007

Dallas Business Journal

by Christine Perez

Staff Writer

Dallas-Fort Worth builders expect to cut home starts back 2% in 2007, according to a survey conducted by Residential Strategies Inc.

Builders that specialize in homes priced under $175,000 say they'll start 7% fewer homes next year; those in the $250,000+ category are planning to cut starts by 4%. Only builders in the $175,000 to $250,000 group are planning to increase production, by about 9%.

Competition, margins, buyer traffic, lot price increases and cancellations are the top builder concerns for 2007. Top reason for buyer fallouts? Many are continuing to shop after putting homes under contract, the builders say, and relocation buyers are having a more difficult time selling their existing homes in other parts of the country.

Two-thirds of the builders anticipate optioning more lots in 2007, with an average increase of 18% over 2006. However, they're quick to point out that they'll only buy and develop in the right locations, with infill sites being popular.

On the good news side, the Dallas-Fort Worth market is seeing more relocation buyers -- up by 25% in 2006 over 2005.

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