Aubrey Client 5-Star Review

"Mark went above and beyond to sell our home and find us the perfect new home. He was there every step of the way, walking us through all the steps we needed to take in order to sell our home and get top dollar. When we saw our listing we were blown away. Mark is A professional photographer so our listing knocked out the competition. The photos were amazing. The first buyer that saw our home put in an offer $2,000 over asking and we had 3 other offers that same day. Mark got our home sold quick and found us our new beautiful home at a lowered price with lots of upgrades and built in 2020. I have been recommending Mark to all my friends and coworkers and we will never work with anyone else when buying or selling a home."

- Javelyn H.
Aubrey, TX

#MyClientsRock #DFWmark #buy #sell #NewHome #CertifiedNewHomes #GraduateRealtorInstitute #DFW #IveGotYourSix

Military Relocation Professional (MRP) Certification

I successfully completed the required curriculum and was awarded the Military Relocation Professional (MRP) Certification by the National Association of REALTORS.

If you are an active duty military service member or an armed services veteran, I'm here to help YOU.

#MRP #MilitaryRelocationProfessional #veteran #VA #certified #REALTOR #RealEstate #military #DFWmark

Summer Safety Tips!

Now that it's almost officially summer, here are some helpful tips to keep you safe for the next few months.

This year was dominated with protecting yourself from germs with face masks and gloves. Now, it’s summertime. You might still work from home, but you’re likely to tinker in the yard or responsibly visit a lake, river or ocean. Outdoor adventures require different levels of protection.

Fire extinguisher
Nothing says summer like grilling and catching things on fire. If you plan to have flames, have a fire extinguisher handy. Extinguishers are an inexpensive way to prevent expensive accidents.
Ensure traditional extinguishers are fully charged. They will have a gauge on the side. Most will be rated for wood, liquids and electrical while others will include grease and fabric.

Sunscreen
The main purpose of sunscreen is to block ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun to prevent skin damage. Sunscreen protects against sunburn and cuts down the likelihood of skin cancers. High SPF (sun protection factor) sunscreens block out the most UV radiation. If it’s hot, or you’ll be by the water, use waterproof versions and apply frequently.

Bug repellents
With fewer people venturing outside, you are more delicious than ever to nearby mosquitoes and other tiny vectors. Protect yourself with a healthy coating of DEET. Rather than being a poison, DEET makes it more difficult for pests to smell us. Repellents not only prevent itchy bites, they protect against mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus, Zika, malaria as well as tick-borne viruses such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Don’t scratch!
Sunburns, insect bites, and poison ivy all irritate the skin and make you itch. If you scratch, you can spread oils and germs. This spreads the cause and symptoms. Poison Ivy scrub by Tecnu can save a trip to the doctor, while sprays and aloe vera gels with pain relievers can stop the itch.

Foaming wasp spray
Don’t harm honeybees! Call a bee collector if a swarm sets up camp at your house. However, wasps and hornets deserve whatever they get. They build nests in your home, bushes and a few are ground dwellers. All have straight stingers, so they can sting multiple times and create more pain. Newer foaming sprays let you attack from a distance and ensure maximum kills.

I’ve Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AWHD
REALTOR, New Build certified
214-862-7212
DFWmark.com
markhancockrealty@gmail.com

#DFWmark #REALTOR #FireExtinguisher #Sunscreen #BugRepellents #ItchRelief #FoamingWaspSpray #InformationOfValue #UsefulNews #IveGotYourSix


Would you like to get the monthly Information of Value directly to your inbox? Please email your name and phone number to markhancockrealty@gmail.com. Please title the email IOV or Information of Value. Thanks!

How To Protest Your Tax Appraisal

You got this year’s tax appraisal. It seems high. You want to protest it. Here’s what you do:

• Contact DFWmark. Email your name, property address and phone number to him (markhancockrealty@gmail.com).
• DFWmark makes a free Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) for you. Mark finds homes similar to your home in both size and age. He creates a market estimate CMA for you to consider for a protest. The CMA may support your protest on the grounds of Option 1 “Incorrect appraised (market) value.” Or maybe not.
• DFWmark will return this document plus a detailed explanation about the document.
• Sometimes there are mistakes and filing a protest will get the county to offer a corrected adjustment. If not, you can still collect information to present until shortly before a court date of your choice. However, the deadline to file a protest is absolute - often on or around May 15.

• If the CMA doesn’t support a protest, you may still proceed with a protest. A direct comparison analysis may support a protest on the grounds of Option 2 “Value is unequal compared with other properties.” You would need to present specific adjustments such as less-valuable property features or repair estimates from the comparable properties related to your property condition.
• You can then decide if you want to accept the county appraisal or file a protest.
• To file a protest before the deadline, go to the protest website listed on your Property Appraisal document and create an account. The address is efileprotest.collincad.org for Collin County.
• Complete the protest form. In Step 3, choose Option 1, 2 or BOTH (if they apply).
• Click the green button to file the protest.
• Once you have created a file and protested, you can upload supporting documents. These should include a protest letter from you - basically reword DFWmark’s cover letter. Then, upload the CMA or spreadsheet (if either or both support your claim), estimates of costs to make needed repairs, and photos of damaged or removed items (pools, patio covers, etc.) that the county considered in their appraisal.

• Once the deadline passes, the county Appraisal Review Board contacts you with an offer. You can accept or reject the offer.
     • If you accept the offer, the appraisal is agreed upon by you and the county. You pay that amount.
     • If you reject the offer, they will schedule a hearing date.
• At a hearing, you present your protest and the Appraisal Review Board makes a final determination.
• These taxes are finalized in October. Taxpayers are notified (billed) in December. Taxes must be paid in January before the February 1 deadline of the following year. Then, the cycle begins again.

• The appraisal amount is calculated from 1 Jan. 2020 to 31 Dec. 2020. You want a low number because you're taxed per each $100 of appraised value.
• The appraised amount is NOT the current market estimate of your home - where you want a high number. If you want to sell your house before June 15 while houses are selling fast at historic high prices, please let me know. I'd need to see the property to get a better current market number.

• If you’re uncertain about protesting the county appraisal, send me your information, and I can let you know where you stand until a day before the county deadline.

Here are links to many North Texas Central Appraisal Districts (CADs): Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Grayson, Johnson, Kaufman, Rockwall and Tarrant.

I’ve Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI
REALTOR®