Carducci Realty Group

Dallas Fort-Worth Real Estate Experts

Home Buying

Granite Versus Quartz Countertops

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A lot of potential homebuyers, ask for granite countertops but quartz countertops are rising in popularity. The question is which countertop should you look for in your new home, and what are the pros and cons of granite vs quartz countertops. Let’s take a deep dive and hopefully we can help you find an answer.

What Are Quartz Countertops Made Of?

While you might think quartz, its actually a man-made engineered stone countertop. Its formed by fusing around 90% of ground quartz (the natural mineral) with 8-10% of resins, polymers and pigments. This makes the countertop very durable while also making it non-porous. In this sense it’s very similar to granite countertops except, Quartz while harder than granite and more durable is more susceptible to damage from excess heat. You should always use heating pads or pot holders when cooking as opposed to placing the hot pan on the counter directly.

What Are Granite Countertops Made Of?

Granite like quartz is a naturally occurring mineral and it’s also quite durable it’s also less expensive than quartz due to it being the most popular choice for countertops. Granite also is a porous stone, therefore it needs regular upkeep by having a sealer applied to it annually. The bonus to granite though is of course, it’s not susceptible to damage from excessive heat in the same way quartz is.

What Are The Pros and Cons To A Quartz Countertop?

  1. Quartz countertops are more durable than granite physically. They are much more difficult to chip and they are more flexible than granite so they are less likely to crack.
  2. Quartz is non-porous meaning you don’t need to worry about keeping it sealed and the countertop is virtually maintenance free.
  3. Because quartz countertops are non-porous you don’t have to worry about stains if you spill some red wine, or any dyed liquid just wipe it off and you will be fine.
  4. Quartz can suffer from discoloration overtime if your countertop is directly facing the sun. This is due to the UV rays the sun puts off.
  5. Quartz countertops typically have a seam that is visible however, they are less visible in darker slabs.

What Are The Pros and Cons To A Granite Countertop

  1. Granite Countertops are typically inconsistent. This is because the stone itself forms differently unlike quartz countertops that are typically the same color and pattern throughout.
  2. Granite Countertops are porous and need to be resealed or else it can trap water, and stains.
  3. Granite while durable is not as strong physically as quartz and is more likely to chip, break and crack.
  4. Granite Countertops tend to have a very obvious seam where the slabs meet. However, if you have a really good fabricator and installer they can typically hide it quite well but it won’t be completely hidden.
  5. Granite Countertops are less prone to damage from heat though making them perfect for kitchens if you don’t have a heat pad or a pot holder to rest hot pans on.

Closing Thoughts

Whether you like the styling of quartz or granite countertops that is up to you. However, just keep in mind the strengths and weaknesses of each material and remember that it ultimately comes down to how much you’re looking to spend on a home or on the countertop you’re looking to install. Quartz is more expensive at the moment compared to granite but in a few years it might not be that way anymore. If you have any questions feel free to ask below.

Side note: If you’re looking to purchase a home and countertops are the one thing you’re going back and forth on. Often times, granite countertop homes are less expensive than an equivalent home with quartz countertops. So it might be cheaper to purchase the less expensive home and simply pay a contractor to install a countertop after the fact.

Should I Move To Lewisville, Texas?

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So, you have decided you want to move to the Dallas Fort Worth area but you’re wanting to get away from the city center. You probably have looked at Lewisville, some would describe it as the best Dallas suburb. However, should you move to Lewisville, Texas let’s see if we can help you narrow your choices.

1. Great Fishing Scene & Shores

Lake Lewisville is probably one of the most important things residents in Lewisville like to discuss. Lake Lewisville is home to the Lewisville Fishing Barge which is open 24 hours a day and is located just a few minutes away from the Lewisville Lake Park. The barge has restrooms, sells bait as well as snacks.

Lake Lewisville is home to a variety of fish primarily various species of Bass & Catfish. It’s also a great place to come out and have a picnic or just to lounge around on the shoreline. However, if fishing and lakes aren’t your thing Lewisville does have a variety of other activities.

2. Close Proximity To Essentials

When you’re moving to a suburb your biggest concern is naturally how far am I from all the essentials. Lewisville is home to a variety of grocery stores including the El Rancho Supermarket, but also home to Winco, Costco, and of course Walmart. There are a variety of boutiques and department stores (even in this tough retail environment). More importantly there are two targets both ideally located in the two largest neighborhoods in Lewisville. One thing to keep in mind though if you’re looking to get to downtown Dallas (as a commute) it’s about 20 miles depending on your area which during peak traffic hours can lead to a longer commute.

However, if you’re not against public transportation you can walk to Hebron Station and take you directly to downtown Dallas. Depending on your area this might be a significantly faster means of getting to work and avoiding that morning commute.

3. Lewisville Central Park

If you’re someone who likes parks Lewisville is home to Central Park which has a mile-long hiking/biking trail, a playground picnic pavilions, and more. You can rent the pavilions if you’re throwing a party or just sit out in the field and relax. It’s honestly a great way to spend the weekend with the family!

4. The Community

The community in Lewisville is quite active and very welcoming. Every year in June & July there is a festival hosted called the Sounds Of Lewisville. There are free live performances from the local artists as well as the local vendors / businesses and it’s a fun event. If you’re a beer lover Lewisville is also home to the Best Little Brewfest which is also held in June and typically sees attendance from around 80 breweries from all around texas.

Closing Thoughts

Lewisville is a great place to live if there was one thing I had to say was it’s “weakness” it would be the commute. Getting into the city especially during rush hour can be rough but an advantage to living in the suburbs naturally is you tend to get a lot more house for your money. If you have any questions on the area or are looking to buy feel free to contact me via my contact page or give me a call at 214-356-8586.

A Guide On How To Change Your Address

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Moving into your new place is not only a giant leap forward into your life. It’s also not just about moving your furniture and your life as a whole to a new location. You have to take care of actually changing your address to avoid mail going to the wrong location, to packages being missed and bills not being paid.

Today, I am going to show you how to change your address after you have moved into your new home.

1. Updating Your Mailing Address

Mail nowadays is more than just packages its where you get bills, as well as important letters and information. While mail might feel like an outmoded form of communication the United States Postal Service makes changing your mailing address a fairly straightforward procedure.

There are three ways that you can go about changing your address only one of which is free.

  1. You can visit your local postal office and you won’t need to pay any fee.
  2. You can update your address over the phone by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS you will be subject to a $1 fee.
  3. Finally, you can go to the USPS website and update your address on there. The fee is also $1.

2. If you haven’t already update your driver’s license.

Paying fees is annoying looking at you USPS but what’s even more annoying is going to the DMV. The good news is in most states you are able to go online to the DMV’s website and simply request a new ID that will match your existing address. You will need to wait a few days for delivery but more importantly, there is always a fee for this.

Sadly you can’t avoid the fee even if you go to the DMV but you can avoid going to the DMV completely in most cases which in my opinion is worth it.

3. Update Your Banking Information

This is important you will want to update your bank information quickly. Your bank will send you important information to your address as well as statements in many cases. It also uses the address to verify your billing address when you pay for items online.

All you will need to do is go online and update your bank information or in some cases, you might need to call your bank. I would personally avoid going to a local branch unless it’s required to save yourself some time.

4. Update Online Billing Information

Make sure to update your reoccurring online services such as Netflix, Amazon and other websites you frequently make purchases on are updated. If you don’t you might send it to the wrong delivery address or include the wrong billing address. The wrong billing address with an updated bank account can in turn resort in payments being declined so make sure you update this after you updated your banking information.

5. Let Your Friends & Family Know

The final and possibly most important part is to let your friends and family know you moved. A quick text or Facebook message can resolve all sorts of potential issues such as cards or gifts being sent to the wrong location.

Make sure to update them after you are moved in and a bit settled just to keep everyone in the loop.

Closing Thoughts

After you have moved to a new home make sure to update your address by contacting all the important parties. Make sure your driver’s license is updated as well as your banking information. From there make sure your online services are all updated and that your friends and family are updated. This will prevent important mail from ending up at the old address and make sure no services are interrupted.

What Is The Median House Price In Lewisville Texas?

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Lewisville Texas is a great suburb of Dallas Fort Worth. It has an active community, with lots of activities and things to do. To the benefit of the community, you will never not have something to do in the area not to mention the commute to Dallas is much better than you might find elsewhere!

But, when it comes to deciding if you want to live here cost is a factor and before you go looking at the average home price look at the median. If you’re unsure on what to do at all contact me Angelo Carducci, and I will give you the clear answers that you need! But let’s start to look at what the average person would be looking to spend on a home in our area.

But Why Not Look At The Average?

The average home price isn’t a good way to measure much of everything. Outside of a really simple data set a large outlier can affect the average by either lowering or raising the cost dramatically. For example, let’s say that 5 homes were sold in Lewisville yesterday.

The cost of the homes will be broken down into the following.

House 1: 250,000 House 2: 300,000 House 3: 285,000 House 4: 310,000 House 5: 550,000

The average of this list is 339,000 which is more than almost all the houses sold for (excluding house number 5). The median number, in this case, would be 300,000. This goes to show that numbers can be manipulated easily and while this sample set is small the median is almost always the fairest way of measuring housing price.

Now, What’s The Median House Price In Lewisville Texas?

So to jump into it, the actual median housing price is somewhere in the range of $270,000 to $300,000. The reason for the disparity is that many homes end up listing closer to 300,000 but end up being negotiated down to somewhere in that range. Of course, there are going to be more expensive homes and there will be even far less expensive options but this is around what you’re looking to spend to live in Lewisville.

For those who like to know the cost per square foot the median listing price per square foot is around $148.

As a buyer, you will have room to negotiate for your house as while prices are rising they aren’t trending too high and are remaining relatively stable!

Closing Thoughts

Lewisville, Texas is filled with things to do, people to meet and places to see. The cost of a home in our area can vary depending on your families specific needs, therefore it’s always best to contact a real estate agent like myself to get the best information possible for your needs!

5 Reasons You Should Move To Lewisville, Texas

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Lewisville is an interesting city while being the suburb of busy Dallas it comes with a lot of fun activities for you and your family. In addition to activities, the community is active, lively and there is a really strong dining scene. So let’s jump into 5 reasons you should move to Lewisville, Texas.

1. Really Great Restaurants

Lewisville has a really great dining scene that is more than just fast food joints. There is a wide array of restaurants from authentic pizza places such as Pie 314. There is also a great selection of Mexican restaurants including Taqueria La Esperanza. Additionally being so close to downtown Dallas you’re able to experience an even larger selection of eateries without needing to travel very far from home!

2. Events Galore

Lewisville has a very strong sense of community that is active and lively. Every year we host the Sounds of Lewisville festival. This festival provides free live performances from talented local artists, as well as great food and drinks. It gives you a great sense of the diversity in our community while also highlighting how active we all are! Other events include our Western Days Festival and various Brewfest like festivals also hosted throughout the year.

3. Commuting Without The Headache

Lewisville is interesting in that we embraced public transportation. Whether you’re looking for a bus, or want to take our passenger train located at Hebron Station you can be transported to downtown Dallas without all the headache. Depending on your work’s location you might not even need a car so make sure to check out our train schedule which you can read online!

4. Chains & Local Groceries Are Boundless

Depending on your needs are you can shop at our abundant chains including Walmart, Target, Winco, Costco, Whole Foods, etc. Or if you’re looking for something more local El Rancho Supermarket is really popular and would be worth your visit. Whatever your shopping needs though if our little Lewisville doesn’t have it you can always drive into Dallas and see what there is to offer!

5. Parks Are Beautiful

The weather here is stable and pleasant. When you adapt to the heat you will love our various parks both within the city and that are covered by the national park service. Central Park is a local gem of ours but we also have Lake Park, College Street Park and many more. If you’re more of a nature preserve fan, we have the LLELA Nature Preserve that you can also check out which is draw dropping amazing.

Closing Thoughts

If you’re looking for a great place to live that is a bit outside of the bustling city of Dallas. Then look no further than Lewisville Texas we aren’t just another lifeless suburb we are a growing community who loves the outdoors with great food!

If you have any questions about Lewisville or if you’re looking for a place to calls yours feel free to contact me, Angelo Carducci at 214-356-8586

More Mix-Used Development Expected For Dallas Fort Worth Area

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2019 has been an interesting year so far for home sales. However, the development for the Dallas Fort Worth has been going very strong. This has lead to an interesting design trend for buildings in our area.

Recently, we have seen an uptick in mixed-use projects. For those of you who are not aware, mix-used development is where residential and commercial space is intertwined. This is commonly seen as stores being on the lower parts near the sidewalks and apartments or condo’s being placed on the top of the building.

The benefit to this type of design can be felt throughout many parts of the city with reduced cars on the road, possibly better pricing on the property, and more importantly ease of access to commercial space.

A recent report from Dallas News describes one such scenario where Nack development is looking to develop nearly 17,000 square feet of restaurant and office spaces. These developments will likely be mixed residential space with the restaurant taking the bottom floor.

Additionally the new Lewisville project, Nack Development is also working on a larger-scale mixed-use project in Frisco dubbed The Rail District. 

What Does This Mean For You?

If you’re looking to purchase a home whether it’s in Lewisville or Dallas Fort Worth make sure you contact me and we can begin looking for properties in your desired area. But, the benefit to this sort of mix-used space is that there will be a lot of new development occurring in the area meaning you can expect a more modern home.

Additionally, the new developments being mixed spaces will allow easy access to commercial spaces which depending on where you’re looking to buy can reduce your need for a car and instead only needing it to travel further distances which in the long term can save you money on not only gas but on other associated travel costs.