Fort Worth Texas Real Estate Mineral Rights
March 19, 2008
The development of new, horizontal drilling has finally made it possible to access the enormous natural gas reserve located under Fort Worth and its surrounding neighborhoods, commonly known as the Barnett Shale. Oil and gas companies are drilling in the area, tapping this huge natural resource. As a result, the companies have been approaching owners of Fort Worth real estate and offering signing bonuses and royalties in exchange for lease agreements for drilling rights. Homeowners are being offered up to $18,000 in signing bonuses and 25 percent royalties for signed lease agreements.
Properties not Always Sold with Mineral Rights
Many neighborhood groups in the Fort Worth area have been forming to negotiate the best lease agreements and royalties for all residents. While homeowners in some areas have already signed lease agreements with energy companies, others are holding off, trying to secure a better deal.
If you are interested in purchasing Fort Worth Real Estate and are hoping to cash in on a lease for drilling rights, check to make sure the property you are interested in comes with mineral rights. These rights may be sold with the property or retained by the seller, which would mean the home buyer would not be entitled to royalty checks.
Keep in mind that many homes in the Fort Worth area are being sold without mineral rights, so securing such rights would seem to be the exception rather than the rule. Also, not every home owner has been approached and offered a lease agreement by the energy companies, so owning a piece of Fort Worth Texas Real Estate would not necessarily guarantee profits from the Barnett Shale.
Teens on Patrol in Keller
March 15, 2008
The safety of Keller Real Estate gets a boost as local teenagers work in partnership with the Keller police department. Their goal is to make the streets of Hidden Lakes safer for everyone living in this Keller neighborhood.
Interested teenagers aged 15 years and older learn how to identify and properly report illegal or unsafe activities. Each teen goes through six hours of hands-on training, mostly in the form of ride alongs with Keller police officers.
Teen patrols wear identifiable clothing, including a t-shirt or cap with the HLTP logo. They work in pairs, mostly after dark, patrolling the ten villages and associated amenities of the Hidden Lake community by car. At no time are they allowed or encouraged to pursue suspects or even exit their vehicles. There must be a cell phone inside each teen patrol vehicle, and they must check in with the Keller police department each time they begin their shift.
Community Service Credits Awarded
In addition to enhancing the safety of Keller TX real estate, making these neighborhoods a safer place to live, the teens are awarded community service credits for their efforts. There is no maximum number of hours the teens are allowed to work, but they must volunteer for at least one, two-hour shift per month in order to remain an active HLTP member.
Accommodations are made for school, vacation, and work schedules, in order to make it as easy as possible for teens to volunteer their time. All interested teenagers must be able to pass a background check prior to beginning their training, during which they are taught patrol objectives, observation skills, and memory enhancement techniques.
Purchase a Piece of Fort Worth History
March 12, 2008
If you are looking to purchase a piece of Fort Worth TX Real Estate that is steeped in local history, look no further than the magnificent Reeves-Walker House. Built in 1908 for the founder of First Fort Worth Bank and Trust, this Victorian mansion offers 9300 square feet of beautifully restored office or living space. It was sold in 1917 to the president of the Walker Grain Company, James L. Walker, who owned the property for fifty years. Upon its sale in 1967 it served as a funeral home, and since the mid-1980’s has been used as business offices.
Modern Amenities Offered in an Old Classic
As part of this beautiful building’s restoration, it has been upgraded to include modern amenities such as zoned heating and air conditioning, upgraded electrical service that can handle modern technology, a security system, and automatic sprinklers for the 1.2 acres of lush grounds that surround the structure.
A brick driveway provides access to a parking lot that has a capacity to hold 18 automobiles, and the entire property is fenced. A carriage house at the rear of the property offers an additional 2,400 square feet of usable space, and the main structure includes a full basement.
The grand entrance of the main floor includes a beautiful herringbone patterned hardwood floor and expansive 14 foot ceilings. The large private office on the ground floor is equipped with two fireplaces, as is the conference room. The second floor offers six offices. The original ballroom is currently being used as a library but could be converted into another large office.
This magnificent piece of Fort Worth Real Estate is recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark, and is conveniently located among the other grand historic homes of Fort Worth’s Fairmount-Southside Historic District.
Fort Worth Neighborhood Capacity Building
March 10, 2008
As the City of Fort Worth continues to grow, city leaders recognize that the involvement of citizens within their communities is an integral part of helping each community reach its goals. To that end, the City of Fort Worth has begun encouraging citizens to participate in neighborhood organizations and associations.
Benefits of Neighborhood Organizations
The encouragement of neighborhood organizations by the City is helping boost the quality of Fort Worth Texas Real Estate because those organizations help foster a sense of community among the citizens of that neighborhood. Having a sense of community brings pride to the neighborhood and builds a strong neighborhood self image. In turn, resident involvement within those neighborhoods leads to a safer community and the completion of many neighborhood improvements. These neighborhood associations also monitor building proposals, and come up with a list of goals for their neighborhoods along with a plan of action and list of priorities for reaching those goals.
There are a variety of neighborhood organizations in Fort Worth, including neighborhood alliances and associations, community development groups, and nonprofit organizations such as Citizens on Patrol.
Fort Worth Neighborhood Activities
Since August 1997, the number of registered neighborhood organizations in Fort Worth jumped from 114 to 238. There are currently 14 registered neighborhood alliances, but many areas of the city as of yet remain unrepresented. The goal is for every piece of Fort Worth Real Estate to belong to a community group, ensuring representing every residential neighborhood within the city.
These organizations are responsible for such activities as planting trees, organizing clean-ups, procuring custom street signage, and for conducting neighborhood policing. A program run by the City of Fort Worth provides courtesy notices to citizen’s groups notifying them of any growth and development issues slated to go before the Zoning Commission so that concerned citizens have the opportunity to listen in and voice their opinions.
The Fort Worth Citizens on Patrol program has trained 5,200 residents in crime stopping tactics, and 189 citizen’s groups help patrol Fort Worth neighborhoods, resulting in a lower crime rate for those areas.
Ten Common Mistakes that Real Estate Investors Make
March 7, 2008
Investors, interested in investing in thriving markets such as, Fort Worth Texas Real Estate, need to avoid the ten most common mistakes that investors make. Real estate experts have created the “Top Ten” list of investor mistakes. To be successful in real estate, an investor needs to avoid these lethal mistakes.
An investor should never plan as they go. Before an investor purchases a piece of residential or commercial property it is important to have a well-developed plan.
It is foolish for an investor to become involved in real estate as a “get rich quick” scheme. Long-term real estate investments are usually the most profitable.
An investor should not work alone or play the “Lone Ranger”. A wise investor always works with a professional, such as a Fort Worth Realtor.
It is important that an investor does not pay too much for a piece of property. This can have a dramatic impact on the amount of profit the investor makes.
Do not forget to do your homework. The investor should always research how much the property is worth and what improvements need to be made.
A real estate investor needs to be diligent in acquiring property and financial backing if needed.
A serious investor should never misjudge the amount of money that they can spend on the property and on the improvements that need to be made.
To receive accurate estimates make sure to work with reputable professionals experienced in real estate.
An investor does not want to become “stuck in a corner”, so to say, with a piece of property that is a dud.
An investor should not decrease the amount of real estate that they purchase and sell. Investing in real estate is a continuous process.
