I’ve Officially Joined With Coldwell Banker Realty

Today I have an exciting announcement about my future, which involves a story from my past.

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I proudly joined Ebby Halliday Realtors almost 10 years ago. Back then, I was a brand-new agent and I didn’t know much, but I knew that Ebby Halliday had a stellar reputation in the community. I went to a local Ebby Halliday office for an interview and told the manager that I was a new agent, I didn’t know a single soul in the area, and that English isn’t my native language, but also that I’m willing to work hard and do whatever it takes to become the No. 1 agent. She said that she was glad to see me join the team, but she also warned me that almost 90% of new agents don’t make it to their second year—it might not be a bad idea for me to have a plan B in place. Little did she know that real estate was already my plan B at the time (and plan C or D, if I’m being honest). Shortly after, I purchased a home, and it made more sense for me to move to the Frisco office, which is where I met Terri Macaluso, who was managing that office. I told her the same thing I told the manager with whom I'd initially interviewed.

I’m so thrilled to announce that I’m joining my former manager Terri Macaluso at Coldwell Banker Realty.

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She simply told me, “Well let’s get to work then.” It was under Terri’s leadership, management, and mentorship that my dream of becoming the No. 1 agent came true. I still remember that year’s award ceremony. Terri kept it a surprise from me; I remember she had a huge grin on her face, and it seemed like she was more excited for me to get the award than I was! That’s why I’m so thrilled to announce that I’m joining my former manager Terri Macaluso, who also happens to be one of my biggest cheerleaders here at my new home, Coldwell Banker. The tools and support they have here are truly unmatched, and I can’t wait to give you an update on my experience in a future post. I also want to give my love, honor, and respect to Ebby Halliday Realtors and thank them from the bottom of my heart for being my home and my family for almost a decade. I will miss them all dearly. Additionally, I want to thank my friends and clients for your continued support, love, trust, and loyalty. I promise the only disruption and inconvenience you might have (if any) during this transitional period is memorizing my new email address, anastasia@cbrealty.com. My phone number is still the same, so if you have questions or need any help at all, please feel free to reach out to me! I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for us all.

Featured Listings

Available near you:

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2160 Woodhaven Drive

2 / 3

1900 Tapadero Lane

3 / 3

1329 Melrose Drive

The Pandemic’s Impact

The current pandemic has changed everything. Today I’m explaining some of the ways the economy and businesses have been impacted.

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What a surreal time! We have never seen an event like the current pandemic in our lifetime. There has never been such a sudden economic halt as what we’re experiencing right now. This is the time for all of us to step up and be the best we can be.

The majority of businesses are struggling; they’re only bringing in a small fraction of their usual revenue. To learn more about the coronavirus’s impact on the economy and business, watch my latest video above.

Featured Listings

Available near you:

1 / 3

2160 Woodhaven Drive

2 / 3

1900 Tapadero Lane

3 / 3

1329 Melrose Drive

An Inside Look at What Brought Me to Texas (And to Real Estate)

As you surely know, Texas is a very special place. That’s why, for today’s video, I’m sharing exactly why I chose to move here and start my real estate career.

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For today’s message, I’ve decided to share the story of what brought me to Texas. This story was first shared on a podcast, and now, I’d like to give all of you the chance to hear it too.

 00:12 - How watching American movies during my childhood in Russia sparked my desire to immigrate
 02:04 - Discussing my early travels through the United States and what first brought me to Texas
 04:04 - Why I decided to settle in the Dallas area
 05:37 - How my real estate career began
 09:19 - The story behind my first real estate deal and my first couple of years in the industry
 12:42 - Discussing how my career growth and personal growth have corresponded over time
 17:13 - Wrapping up with some final advice

As always, if you have any questions about anything related to real estate, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Featured Listings

Available near you:

1 / 3

17092 FM 3486

2 / 3

6413 Kenwick Ave

3 / 3

601 Kentucky St

Have You Filed for All Possible Tax Exemptions?

Are you aware of the four tax exemptions that you might be able to take advantage of as a homeowner in Texas?

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If you're a Texas homeowner, there are four main tax exemptions available to you, all of which decrease your taxable assessed property value by a certain dollar amount based on your location. We have the homestead exemption, the over 65 exemption, the disabled exemption, and the disabled veteran exemption. 

For example, if your primary residence is in McKinney and you're older than 65, you get you deduct $25,000 for homestead and $50,000 for being older than 65. 

We recently discussed the importance of filing your homestead exemption because it not only lets you deduct from your taxable amount, it prevents the county from increasing your home's assessed value more than 10% over a year. Many people are lucky to live in rapidly appreciating areas, so having the security of a 10% maximum assessed value increase can be extremely beneficial. 

It's also very easy to file for your homestead exemption, and it's free. If you own your primary residence as of January 1st, you qualify for this exemption. 

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Filing for your homestead exemption is both easy and free.

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If you have any questions about exemptions or how to take advantage of theme, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I'd be happy to help!

How Are Property Taxes Calculated in Texas?

In Texas, your property tax rate is the sum of the tax rates from more than one jurisdiction. How many jurisdictions do you have to account for, though?

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I have the privilege of working with many relocation clients in the DFW area, and many of them ask me about how property taxes are calculated here in Texas. Today I want to explain this process to help you get a better understanding of it. 

Texas has no state income tax, so property taxes are the largest source of funding for local services. Property taxes help pay for public schools, city streets, county roads, police, fire protection, and many other services.

Your property tax rate is the sum of the tax rates from more than one jurisdiction, such as the county, state, and local school district. Your property might also be subject to additional taxes such as a community college tax or a special area improvement district tax. Tax rates are subject to annual change based the budgets that counties, cities, and schools set in place for that year.  

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Tax rates are subject to annual change based on a few different budgets.

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For instance, if you live in Frisco, your tax rate is the sum of the city of Frisco’s tax rate plus Denton or Collin County’s tax rate plus your school district’s tax rate. If you happen to be in Collin County, you will have an addition tax rate for Collin County Community College.   

I know that sounds a bit complicated, but that’s where your favorite Realtor comes to the rescue.  If you would like know the exact property tax rate for your home or another property you’re interested in, you can visit your county’s appraisal district website or just ask me!

Now that we got your property tax rate somewhat figured out, what about your assessed property value (e.g. the amount you pay on property taxes on minus all available exemptions)? That tends to be a rather complicated subject as well since the assessed value of your home doesn't necessarily match its appraised value or how much you paid for the house.   

Stay tuned for my next video where I will discuss the difference between the assessed value, the appraised value, and market value of your home. I will also cover all the exemptions that are available to you and how they decrease your tax bill.

In the meantime, if you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling real estate, please feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email. I would be honored to be of service.

Welcome to My Youtube Channel

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I'd like to welcome you to my new YouTube Channel.

On my channel, you'll find tips for both buyers and sellers in the real estate market, as well as updates on what's happening in our local market. The real estate market affects all of us!

I really want this page to be a valuable resource for you. If you have any questions about our market or about real estate in general, send me an email. Odds are good that if you have a question about a topic, someone else does as well, so send your questions my way and we'll make an educational video.

Take a look around the channel and subscribe. I look forward to hearing from you soon!