Elena Garrett, Realtor in Dallas Texas - My Blog

Residential and Investment Properties in Dallas - Fort Worth

Elena Garrett, Realtor in Dallas Texas - My Blog

Top Home Buyer Mistakes (2026 – North Texas Edition)

by Elena Garrett, February 2026 1️⃣ Starting the Home Search Without Understanding True Monthly Costs Some buyers begin touring homes very enthusiastically before knowing (or even being interested in knowing about): • their loan type options and the minimum down payment and any loan points (additional lender fees) they would Read more…


A Guide to Rent-to-Own Options in North Texas (2026)

What Actually Exists in 2026 — and How to Start the Right Way by Elena Garrett, Feb 2026 If you’ve been trying to find rent-to-own homes in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and keep hitting dead ends, you’re not imagining things. Most people start the same way: Google searches, Zillow, Realtor.com, Read more…


The $130,000 Bling Spot Or The Dog That Did Not Bark

by Elena Garrett, Realtor, Feb 2026 Why Smart People Lose Big Money by Over-Optimizing Small Fragile Things You are about to read one of the stories I repeat a lot, because this story really illustrates several inter-connected logical blind spots that home buyers whom I would call ANALYTICAL or CAUTIOUS Read more…


Buying a Home in Texas: A Clear, Low-Pressure Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

By Elena Garrett, Feb 2026 Buying a home in Texas doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, rushed, or intimidating. In reality, the process works best when you start with clarity, goal-setting, and strategy selection, not paperwork. This guide walks you through the Texas home-buying process in logical phases — from early Read more…


TREC Texas One to Four Family Residential Contract — Plain-English Guide for Buyers (2026)

By Elena Garrett, Feb 2026 Buying a home in Texas involves signing a document called the One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale). This contract is about 12 pages long and contains many legal and technical terms. This guide explains the main sections of the contract in plain English, so Read more…


The Emotional Hangover From the COVID Economy — And What it Means for Real Estate Decisions in 2026

By Elena Garrett, December 2025 Across the DFW real estate market — buyers, sellers, landlords, builders, and flippers alike — many people are still mentally anchored and longing for to the COVID-era market of 2021–2022. Not just the memories, but the expectations that those conditions were somehow “normal” — while Read more…


TX Home Buyer Year End Update – 2025

Have home prices reached their lowest point at the end of the 2025? Maybe. Most buyers these days are asking themselves: “If I buy now, am I going to overpay?” We looked at real sales prices in Dallas–Fort Worth area (Collin, Dallas, Denton, Tarrant counties) over the last three years, Read more…


Budget and Credit Conscious Homebuyer Guide 2026 – Dallas Fort Worth And Beyond

by Elena Garrett, Nov 2025 1. Renting Isn’t the Problem — Staying Stuck In a Rental Rat Race Is If you’re renting because life threw you a curveball — income interruption, medical bills, credit dings, divorce, job change, self-employment, immigration status, whatever — you’re not alone. But you are losing Read more…


Why Buying a Home in November or December Can Save You Thousands in Cash

by Elena Garrett, Nov 2025 Most people, when they dream about buying a home, think the “good deal” comes from finding a lower interest rate… or catching a lucky break in the market. But guess what? The interest rate is only PART of the conversation.Sometimes the bigger part is this: Read more…


Real Estate Coaching and Advisory (RECA) Center – Dallas, TX

Our real estate education tracks are built to give you step-by-step clarity for any kind of real estate decision — whether you’re planning your first home purchase, prepping to sell, or exploring investment strategies. Every class is designed to help you understand the process, avoid common pitfalls, and move forward with confidence.