Kari Cummings - Grapevine Realtor

🍾UNDER CONTRACT🗝️
My clients relocating to the Rockwall area are building their dream home and am so excited to be there every step of the way.
We spent several weekends looking for the right builder for their needs and doing a lot of research on communities and floorplans to find THE ONE.
This weekend they selected the lot for their new home and construction will start soon.
They are also receiving great incentives from the builder! $20k in closing costs and $15k towards design upgrades.
Just some of the perks of buying new construction!
By Christmas they will be the proud owners of a beautiful NEW home. ❤️
Can I help answer any questions on new construction and/ or the process of buying? Reach out- I'd love to help you!

As another year comes to an end, it can be a bittersweet time for many. I like to reflect back on the year and all the memories I made. Here's some of the highlights from 2023 I will never forget:
- Played in the Ice/Snow in February ❄️
- Attended an amazing Real Estate Conference
- Family trip to Florida 🌴
- Girls Brunches with my Best Friends
- Lots of Baseball games for Graham! ⚾
- Fun Summer Days at Six Flags in Texas 🎢
- First family photos professionally as a family of 4 📸
- Lots of pool time in the Summer at Nana's house
- Celebrated Mother's day at my favorite seafood restaurant
- Many trips to parks with the kids
- Summertime soccer games for Graham ⚽
- Watching Fireworks on the 4th of July 🧨
- Lexi's first time at Daycare
- Lexi celebrated her 1st birthday! 🎂
- Trips to the Dallas zoo with the kids
I'm excited for a new year, new beginnings, and new opportunities. What are you looking forward to in 2024? I'd love to hear!
Cheers to 2024! 🎊🪩
- Kari

Imagine this scenario: you've just toured a home with me. As we walk back to the car, I unveil this dreaded screen.

Tipping culture has evolved into quite the topic of discussion lately, hasn't it? While I wholeheartedly support rewarding exceptional service, it's hard to ignore that tipping has become such a widespread practice, even when service is minimal.
I used to be a server myself many years ago, so I understand the value of hard-earned tips!

But the growing expectation of gratuities for every service, no matter how small, is becoming a bit much.

What do you think?

Someone from out of town asked me recently if Dallas-Fort Worth is a “good place to raise a family.” Everyone has different preferences and needs/wants so I can’t really answer that with a straightforward yes or no. And for legal reasons, real estate agents technically aren’t supposed to talk about social questions that might be controversial. But I can tell you at least in my personal experience, MY family absolutely LOVES it here.

Here’s 4 reasons why:
1) Within the metroplex, there are so many smaller communities that make a big city feel small and more like home! If you need help finding the right one for you....I can help!

2) Restaurants that are family-friendly are everywhere and we have some of the best food in the nation, in my opinion!

3) There is no shortage of things to do with kids! The metro area has so many recreational activities available like Six Flags, multiple museums, and parks with plenty of recreation for both adults and children with a wide range of interests.

4) There are so many options for schools. In the metro area alone, there are almost 40 different public school districts to enroll your children and there are plenty of charter school options available, as well.

I guess the secret is out. Word has spread how amazing of a place it is to live. With how many people are moving here, and while some locals dread the influx of out of town and out of state people moving here, they are coming because of all that Dallas-Fort Worth has to offer.
Of course, everyone has their own opinion on things like traffic and housing infrastructure, but I CAN tell you that right now, this is an absolutely amazing place to live. And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

So, that’s just my opinion. What about you?
- Kari

Closed and funded for my client, Rosario! 🗝️

We've been looking over the past couple of months for perfect home that would be a great investment with a little TLC.
We found it! And I can't wait to see what she does with the place when she puts her own touch on it.

Thank you for working with me to find your home 🤍

Usually, it takes 6-9 months to build a new construction home. But did you know there's a way to move into a brand new home in less than 30 days? No, that's not a typo. Here's how it works: sometimes a local builder has a brand new home almost completed....but the buyer suddenly cancels the contract. Could be anything from taking a new job out of town, to a divorce, to something as simple as financing falling through. Every situation is different.
This is obviously really frustrating for the builder because they've invested a lot of time and money to get that house built! They want to sell it immediately. They don't want a bunch of empty homes that haven't sold...that's not profitable for them! They're in the business of building homes, not selling them.
So here's the thing: these new construction homes with canceled contracts do NOT always show up on the MLS or if you're searching on Zillow.

The builder wants to sell these homes ASAP, even if it means just breaking even (or sometimes even losing a bit of money).
Remember: they have money tied up in these unsold homes. Until they sell, they can't reinvest that money into building more homes.

I regularly get emails from builders letting me know when this happens. They want me to find a buyer for them ASAP.
Let me know if you'd like me to share these opportunities with you. It's a cool way to move into a brand new construction home WITHOUT having to wait 9 months. And usually, you can get a really good deal, too.

Just text or call me if you're interested. My personal cell is (972) 896-3883.
- Kari

As we near the end of 2023, I love to think back on the clients who brought me so much joy this year! Elliot and Alyssa were one of those clients.

They were first-time home buyers that were in the middle of planning their wedding and had so much going on in their lives at the time. Being a first-time homebuyer can be stressful, especially when you add wedding planning on top of everything.
I was SO thankful to be able to guide them through the process of buying and alleviate some of the stress that can come along with it.

Here's what they had to say:
"I don't even know where to start with this review- Kari has been the absolute best agent we could have ever asked for. My husband and I were first time home buyers and had no idea what the home buying process would look like, but Kari has been so patient and really helped us narrow down what we were looking for in a home. We have been working with her for 7ish months, and she has been such a positive light and has made this process very enjoyable. We have not only gained a house in this process, but also a new friend! 10/10 will recommend Kari to everyone we know that is looking at buying."

Thank you both so much for trusting me to be your realtor. Congratulations! 🎉

I’m going to share my personal cell number with you. It’s (972) 896-3883. Here are 4 reasons to give me a call.

1. I can share with you my opinion of the top 3 neighborhoods near East Dallas that are still a great value right now... that will probably become a lot more expensive in the future.

2. Talking on the phone is more fun than messaging each other on Facebook (or sending emails).

3. I can tell you what your home is worth. Many homeowners still underestimate their home’s value by as much as $30,000. Especially here in the North DFW area, there are not enough new construction homes to keep up with all of the demand. You probably have more equity than you think you do. I love sharing good news with people. 🙂

4. Honestly, I’m just a fun person to talk to. 😉

- Kari

P.S. Seriously, give me a call or text me if you have any questions whatsoever about real estate here in the DFW area. My personal cell is (972) 896-3883