Title insurance premiums in the State of Texas are regulated and cannot change from one title company to the next.

Original Article

Original Article

However, we can provide information about where to obtain reliable data related to crime statistics.     

Dallas home buyers curious about crime statistics have many options available online that provide helpful information about incidents of crime that have occured in various cities and neighborhoods. 

The methodology for how law enforcement agencies compile and report crime statistics is managed by the FBI via their Uniform Crime Reporting program.  This program dictates how crime data are compiled and reported by law enforcement agencies across the country.

LINKS TO AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR SITES WITH INFO ABOUT CRIME STATISTICS AND SEXUAL OFFENDERS:

* www.crimereports.com - Information from over 700 law enforcement agencies and sexual offender data for all 50 states. 

• Type in the property address on the home page to see results.
• Results page allows sorting by crime, date or distance. 
• Selectable time period of three, seven, 14 or 30 days. 
• Results shown on a Google map with detailed information provided to the left of the map. 

* www.localcrimenews.com - Updated crime news and arrest records for local cities, including crime graphs, newsletters, RSS feeds for city crime news and many charts and graphs showing crime statistics for cities all over the United States. 

• Click letters A-Z to show statistics by city.
• Smaller cities may not be covered by this site.  Works best for larger metro areas and suburbs.
• Links to crime maps, RSS feeds, graphs and statistics are located on city pages.

* http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm - Information about the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics and Crime Data Reporting Methodology.  The FBI created the Uniform Crime Reporting Program in 1930 as a means of collecting and reporting crime statistics in a uniform manner throughout the United States.   A good site to read if you're curious about regional, state and federal crime data, as well as how the data are compiled. 

Home buyers should consider researching crime statistics in their current neighborhood so they can compare them to neighborhoods they are interested in viewing.  Virtually all neighborhoods in the United States have some level of crime.   Often times, buyers may be surprised to see that their own neighborhood has a higher level of crime than they might have expected, despite the fact that they may have considered it a "safe neighborhood".  This helps to put things in perspective when comparing neighborhoods. 

Home buyers concerned about the safety of a particular neighborhood should also consider speaking with neighbors, neighborhood associations, the police department, as well as other law enforcement agencies.  Driving a neighborhood at night is also sometimes a good idea.

The All Star Game will actually be held not in the American Airlines Arena that is home to the Dallas Mavericks, but instead will be in the newly completed Cowboy's Stadium in Arlington (aka "The Jerry Dome"). 

The seating capacity at Cowboy's Stadium is around 80,000 but can be expanded to over 100,000, which is exactly what some people would likely love to see happen.

Cowboy's owner Jerry Jones and Maverick's owner Mark Cuban are anxiously awaiting to see if attendance at this year's game will shatter the current record of 44,735 fans set at the 1989 NBA All Star game held at the Houston Astrodome.  This years game attendance may have a shot of doubling this old record.

And I expect this will likely be one of the busiest, if not THE busiest, weekend of events in Dallas Fort Worth history. 

In addition to the game itself, there are dozens of events happening throughout the Dallas Fort Worth area starting tomorrow (Thursday).   

If you live in the Dallas area and have driven past downtown lately, you probably couldn't help but notice the larger than life image of Dirk Nowitzki plastered on the side of Bank of America Plaza (the neon green building). 

Dirk is a pretty tall guy, but this really does him justice!

Check out the Hyatt Regency close to Reunion Tower for more larger than life images of some NBA All Star players. 

The downtown Dallas area is expected to have hundreds of thousands of visitors over the weekend.  The only events in recent times that have attracted crowds this large to Dallas were the World Cup in 1994 and the Republican National Convention in 1984.  Police have warned motorists and partygoers in the Dallas area to expect traffic delays and problems with parking. 

Speaking from experience, I can tell you that Dallas is not nice to drivers that park in no parking zones, so don't expect your car to be there when you get back if it wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. Taking cab or hopping on the DART rail may be a much smarter option than risking the traffic and parking nightmare that will likely envelop the city for the rest of the week.  Add to that the two inches of snow expected to fall in Dallas tomorrow night and it might not be a pretty sight for those who are unprepared.

Below is a list of the events planned around the Dallas area for this coming weekend.  Tomorrow night (Thursday) is "opening night" and will likely be the busiest night of the week for events.  Expect security to be extra-tight and dress codes at many of these events to be strictly enforced.  Call the numbers below for full details.

{{{{{{{{{{ THURSDAY DALLAS NBA ALL STAR EVENTS }}}}}}}}}}

• ALL STAR OPENING NIGHT CONCERT - 7PM at the Majestic Theater on Elm Street in downtown Dallas.  Featuring Mary J. Blige, comedian Mark Curry and hosted by actor Mario Lopez.  For tickets, call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000.  Ticket prices $150-$2,500. 
• ALL STAR WEEKEND TIP-OFF PARTY - 9PM at the Palladium Ballroom on South Lamar just south of downtown Dallas.  Call 800-960-4560 for ticket info.  Hosted by rapper Ludacris and basketball great Allen Iverson.
• ZO AND MAGIC'S 8 BALL CHALLENGE - 9PM at Centennial Hall at Dallas Fair Park.  Featuring Magic Johnson, Alonzo Mourning and Mark Cuban.  $50 donation required to attend - Proceeds benefitting the Magic Johnson Foundation.  www.8ballchallenge.com
• EVERYTHING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS- 9PM at TePheJez night club in Dallas.  Benefit for "Laptops for the Wounded" $50 general admission or $125 VIP.  Call 214-744-JAZZ. 
• ALL STAR COMEDY JAM- 8PM at Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie.  Hosted by Shaquille O'Neal.  214-373-8000. 
• ALL STAR HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITY SOIREE - 9PM at Union Station in downtown Dallas.  Tyler Perry, Terence Howard and Kerry Washington will be there.  Call 800-960-4560 for ticket info. 

{{{{{{{{{{ FRIDAY DALLAS NBA ALL STAR EVENTS }}}}}}}}}}

• 944 MAGAZINE'S FRIDAY-SATURDAY-SUNDAY PARTY AT THE BOARD ROOM - Begins Friday at 5PM.  Continues Saturday and Sunday.  The Board Room in Victory Park on Houston street.  Guests will include Russell Simmons and rapper Snoop Dogg.  www.944allstar.com 
• THE VIBE MAGAZINE ALL STARS OF COMEDY EXPLOSION - 7PM at the Majestic Theater.  Featuring Aries Spears, Jay Lamont and Chris Spencer.  Tickets 800-745-3000. 
• P DIDDY DOES DALLAS - 9PM at the Palladium on South Lamar south of downtown.  Pretty obvious who's going to be there.  Tickets - 800-745-3000.   
• CLASH OF THE TITANS - NFL VS NBA ALL STARS - 9PM at Union Station in downtown Dallas.  Tickets 800-960-4560. 
• VIBE MAGAZINE'S COMEDY SHOW AFTER PARTY - 10PM at the Tower Club in Thanksgiving Tower in downtown Dallas.  Hosted by Rickey Smiley.  800-960-4560. 

{{{{{{{{{{ SATURDAY DALLAS NBA ALL STAR EVENTS }}}}}}}}}}

• THE KATT WILLIAMS EXPERIENCE - LIVE IN CONCERT - 7PM at the Majestic Theater on Elm in downtown Dallas.  800-745-3000. 
• PARTY FOR CHAMPIONS - 9PM at the Tower Club at Thanksgiving Tower.  A Red Carpet Event with multiple rooms of entertainment and a cigar bar.  Tickets 800-960-4560.

{{{{{{{{{{ SUNDAY DALLAS NBA ALL STAR EVENTS }}}}}}}}}}

• ALL STAR APPRECIATION DAY - Noon at Union Station.  Featuring complimentary mimosas and massage stations.  Call 800-960-4560. 
• ALL STAR GAME WATCHING PARTY - 6PM at Union Station.  800-960-4560. 
• AND OF COURSE, THE NBA ALL STAR GAME WILL BEGIN AT 7PM CST at COWBOY'S STADIUM IN ARLINGTON.  Ticket prices range from $25 up to more than you and I together can probably afford.  Call 800-745-3000. 

And if you feel like checking out multiple events, consider purchasing an NBA All Star Passport.  Get tickets to 10 events for $399 or VIP access for $899.  Visit www.dallasallstarpassport.com for details. 

Or sit at home and watch it on TV.  That's always fun too....In fact, that may prove to be a smart strategy for Thursday night if it does happen to snow two inches.

In addition to these headline events, many other restaurants, bars and venues will host smaller events that will attract crowds from all over.  Check www.quickdfw.com for more info on smaller local events planned for the weekend.

• MORTGAGE RATES MAY INCREASE, PERHAPS RAPIDLY - If the decrease in government demand for mortgage-backed securities is not offset by an increase in demand from institutional investors, mortgage rates will almost certainly increase.  Again, nobody knows by how much, but just knowing that the government is purchasing as much as 80% of the securities in the market, the increase could potentially be substantial.   
• PURCHASING POWER MAY DECLINE - When and if rates increase, home buyers who qualified with a lender at lower interest rates may find their purchasing power has declined.  For example, the principal and interest payment on a $150,000, 30 year fixed rate mortgage at a rate of 5% is $805.23.  At a rate of 6%, the payment jumps to over $899.  The same payment of $805.23 will only purchase $134,305 at 6%.  So a 1% increase in mortgage rates can reduce purchasing power by over 10%! 
• SOME HOME BUYERS WHO QUALIFIED UNDER THE LOW RATES PRIOR TO THE END OF THE PROGRAM MAY DISCOVER THEY QUALIFY FOR MUCH LESS IF RATES INCREASE - A home buyer who qualifies for a $150,000 home mortgage at 5% might be startled to hear from their lender that they only qualify for $135,000 if rates go to 6%.  Mortgage qualifications are based on several factors, so not all home buyers may be affected in this way.  But it's certainly a possibility. 
• HOME OWNERS LOOKING TO REFINANCE THEIR MORTGAGE MAY LOSE ANY BENEFIT OF REFINANCING IF RATES INCREASE.  There are costs associated with refinancing.  Those costs generally need to be offset by the monthly savings a home owner will receive in order to justify refinancing their mortgage.  The higher the rate, the longer it will take to justify this cost savings.  And in some cases, the payment may not even decrease even with a lower rate because of the increase in the loan balance due to rolling closing costs into the loan. 

Here's some good info from Ashley Myers about the FHA 203K loan program.  I did several of these during my years as a lender and still think it's a great program for owner-occupant buyers looking to rehab a property.

This list covers six counties in the Dallas Fort Worth area: Dallas County, Tarrant County, Collin County, Denton County, Rockwall County and Kaufman County.

Since many of these cities lie in different counties and school districts, the tax rates may vary slightly from what is shown here.  Cities marked with an asterisk (*) are known to lie within multiple counties and school districts.  Some other cities may also lie in multiple districts as well.  Some cities are listed more than once if they lie in multiple counties.

There are several factors that determine the final amount of taxes that a home owner may have to pay besides just these tax rates.  The exemptions offered for each city, school and county taxing entity vary significantly.  For more information about how property taxes work in the State of Texas, please check out my article about how property taxes are determined.  

The information on this list was obtained by third parties.  While I have made an effort to ensure it is accurate, I do not make any claims or warranties as to the accuracy of the data presented.

Below is a list of cities in Rockwall County and their respective tax rates.  Two cities, Rowlett and Garland, both lie primarily in Dallas County.  The tax rate shown below only applies to the parts of those cities that lie within the borders of Rockwall County.  The tax rates for all homes should be verified through the proper central appraisal district.  I have obtained this information from third parties and can make no claim as to its accuracy. 

Property tax rates are a sum total of the county, city and school taxes for each taxing entity.  It's important to note that some of these cities may lie in multiple counties and school districts, so the tax rates shown here may be different in cities that either lie outside of Collin county or that lie in multiple school zones.

While the property tax rate is certainly an important factor to consider when purchasing a home, I do not recommend that home buyers choose a city based solely on the tax rate.  There are plenty of other factors to consider besides just the tax rate.  This is simply meant to be a guide for home owners and perspective buyers who are curious about the cost of home ownership in various cities in Collin County.

This information was also provided by third parties, so i can make no warranty as to the accuracy.  Please verify the tax rates with the Collin County Central Appraisal District.