Welcome to the ETX Country Roads Blog for
The Country Connection, in Canton, TX

We hope you will come back often to see what is happening in and
around Canton,  and the rest of North East Texas!

Entry June 5, 2013

BBC Post on why so many people are moving to Texas
By Tom Geoghegan BBC News, Washington  May 30, 2013

10 reasons why so many people are moving to Texas Comments (377) By Tom Geoghegan BBC News, Washington Half of the 10 fastest-growing cities in the US are in Texas, according to new figures. Why? Every way you look at it, there are a lot of people moving to Texas. Five of the 10 fastest-growing cities in the country between 2011 and 2012 were in Texas, according to new figures from the US Census Bureau. New York is way out in front in terms of added population, but Houston is second with San Antonio and Austin fourth and fifth. In terms of percentage growth, it's even more Texas, Texas, Texas. Among the five cities that grew most, as a proportion of their size, between 2011 and 2012, three are Texan. San Marcos is out in front with the highest rate of growth among all US cities and towns - 4.9%. Some of this Texan population boom is due to a natural increase - more births than deaths - but the numbers moving into the state from elsewhere in the US and from abroad far outstrip every other American state. Why? 1. Jobs "I don't think people go for the weather or topography," says Joel Kotkin, professor of urban development at Chapman University in Orange, California. "The main reason people go is for employment. It's pretty simple. Continue reading the main story Most new arrivals 2011-12 Texas: 210,590 N Carolina: 60,106 Virginia: 40,844 "The unconventional oil and gas boom has helped turn Texas into an economic juggernaut, particularly world energy capital Houston, but growth has also been strong in tech, manufacturing and business services." Critics have questioned whether the "Texas miracle" is a myth, based on cheap labour and poor regulation. But Kotkin says Texas has plenty of high-wage, blue-collar jobs and jobs for university graduates, although people looking for very high-wage jobs would probably head to Seattle, San Francisco and New York. Four of the top 10 metropolitan areas for job growth in 2013 are in Texas, according to Kotkin's website, New Geography. Texas also has a huge military presence, which grew as defence spending increased in the decade after 9/11. Many retired Texans first came to the state as service personnel. 2. It's cheaper Once employed, it's hugely important that your pay cheque goes as far as possible, says Kotkin. Continue reading the main story Fastest growing cities in US (%) 1: San Marcos, Texas (4.91) 2: South Jordan, Utah (4.87) 3: Midland, Texas (4.87) 4: Cedar Park, Texas 4.67) 5: Clarktown, Tenn (4.43) 6: Alpharetta, Georgia (4.37) 7: Georgetown, Texas (4.21) 8: Irvine, California (4,21) 9: Buckeye, Arizona (4.14) 10: Conroe, Texas (4.01) US Census Bureau, 2011-12 "New York, LA and the [San Francisco] Bay Area are too expensive for most people to live, but Houston has the highest 'effective' pay cheque in the country." Kotkin came to this conclusion after looking at the average incomes in the country's 51 largest metro areas, and adjusting them for the cost of living. His results put three Texan areas in the top 10. Houston is top because of the region's relatively low cost of living, including consumer prices, utilities and transport costs and, most importantly, housing prices, he says. "The ratio of the median home price to median annual household income in Houston is only 2.9. In San Francisco, it's 6.7. "In New York, San Francisco and LA, if you're blue-collar you will be renting forever and struggling to make ends meet. But people in Texas have a better shot at getting some of the things associated with middle-class life." Continue reading the main story Texans who've left their mark on the world Roy Orbison (pictured, first) was born in the small town of Vernon, in 1936, months before fellow rock 'n' roll great Buddy Holly, from nearby Lubbock Joan Crawford(second), born Lucille Fay LeSueur to a poor San Antonio family, was famous for accepting an Oscar while ill in bed As JR Ewing, Fort Worth's Larry Hagman became the face of long-running soap Dallas and just about the most famous man in Texas Also robbers Bonnie and Clyde, singer Janis Joplin, country star Willie Nelson, cyclist Lance Armstrong, actress Jayne Mansfield(third) Texas has produced two presidents: Lyndon Johnson and Dwight Eisenhower. Connecticut-born George W Bush (fourth) grew up there 3. Homes Land is cheaper than elsewhere and the process of land acquisition very efficient, says Dr Ali Anari, research economist at the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University. "From the time of getting a building permit right through to the construction of homes, Texas is much quicker than other states. "There is an abundant supply of land and fewer regulations and more friendly government, generally a much better business attitude here than other states." This flexibility, plus strict lending rules, helped to shield the state from the recent housing market crash. 4. Low tax Continue reading the main story 'I moved because I had to' Jeff Paradise, 32, works for an insurance company and relocated to Dallas in 2011, but he often returns to see his partner, Ryan (above left), in his native New York. "I've been to quite a lot of cities in the US and Dallas is probably my least favourite. The one reason I'm here is for a financial purpose. I have a really good job but I work about 70-80 hours a week so if I had more free time, I would do more. It's a new American city, all sprawled out, because it came of age in the 60s and 70s when it was all about cars and highways. But it's definitely changed the last 5-10 years and they are trying to improve the public transport. I get the train and it's clean, on time and cheaper than New York." Texas is one of only seven states where residents pay no personal state income tax, says Kay Bell, contributing tax editor at Bankrate and Texan native. The state has a disproportionate take from property taxes, which has become a big complaint among homeowners, she adds. But overall, only five states had a lower individual tax burden than Texas, according to Tax Foundation research. There are also tax incentives for businesses and this week legislators cut more than $1bn off proposed business taxes. 5. Pick your own big city Texas has six of the country's 20 biggest cities, says Erica Grieder, author of Big, Hot, Cheap and Right: What America Can Learn from the Strange Genius of Texas. Contrast this to, for example, Illinois, where if you want to live in a big city you can live in Chicago or you have to move out of state, she says. But if you're in Texas you can be in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, or El Paso. 6. Austin in particular Continue reading the main story Why I live in Austin "Houston is a city, San Antonio is a city but Austin doesn't feel like that to me," says Texan-born folk singer James McMurty. "I like it because it's equidistant to each coast so I can get in my van and drive to the west coast and drive around there for three weeks and then come home and do the same on the east coast and still have a life. "It's far enough south that it doesn't get too cold and you don't get many twisters. And it's a blue dot [Democrat] in a red sea." Restaurant manager Christopher Hislop, 33, moved in 2007 from Los Angeles to Austin, where he met his wife and they now have a nine-month-old boy. "I came to Austin for a wedding and thought it was a really cool city and the people were nice - it was everything that LA wasn't but still had that hip vibe without pretension. The nightlife is great and there's an emphasis on getting out and about - they maintain trailways and nature. "It's not Texas at all and that's what I liked about it. I don't know Texas very well, I grew up in Chicago, but Austin is not Texas because you think of 10-gallon hats and guys on horseback. It's a cliché but Austin isn't like that, it's hip and in the now. The rest of Texas is very conservative." People like to perpetuate a myth that Austin is still the Austin it once was, says Joshua Long, author of Weird City: Sense of Place and Creative Resistance in Austin, Texas. So as it's become a big city, a movement has developed to "keep it cool, keep it weird and keep it environmentally friendly". 7. Family-friendly Because of its good-value housing, Texas has been particularly popular with families, and some of its cities now have an above-average number of children. San Antonio is home to the largest community of gay parents. In Texas, you can have a reasonable mortgage and pretty good schools, says Grieder. And restaurants are invariably family-friendly. "You hear about the high drop-out rate but Texas education scores pretty well at national tests for 4th and 8th graders in math, reading and science. The aggregate is about average. "The perception is that Texas has poor schools but it's not correct. Across the country in general, we don't have schools as good as we would like them to be." In eighth-grade maths, for instance, Texas scored higher than the national average and outscored the three other big states of California, New York and Florida. On Sunday, an education budget was approved that restored cuts made in 2011. 8. Fewer rules Continue reading the main story And why some might not move to Texas The weather - summer is hot. Very hot Congestion problems growing in big cities Not well known for fun nightlife, outside Austin If you hate American football (above, University of Texas Longhorns), you might be outnumbered "Texas is liberal in the classic sense, it's laissez-faire, so there's a lack of regulations," says Grieder, and this can apply to the obvious (business regulations) or the less obvious (city rules). "The classic social contract is - we're not going to do a ton to help you but we're not going to get in your way. That's not 100% true of the state but there's that strand in the state." Mortgage lending is an obvious exception. But there has been strong opposition to banning texting while driving and a proposed tax on soda. And Governor Rick Perry is poised to sign off the strongest email privacy laws in the US, which would require state law enforcement agencies to get a warrant before accessing emails. 9. Texans are normal people The state likes to proclaim itself as an unpretentious, down-to-earth place where people are easy to get along with. As John Steinbeck wrote: "Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America." And for people with conservative values, it could be a natural home, although demographic shifts have prompted speculation it will be a Democratic state in the future. People dream about moving to California, but they don't dream about moving to Texas, says Grieder, yet many of those reluctant to move there end up liking it. She adds: "[They] realize that Texans aren't all Bible thumping, gun-toting people. The job is the trigger to come but you find it's pretty nice to live here." 10. And they're not going anywhere All this doesn't just bring in new arrivals - native Texans aren't leaving the state either. It is the "stickiest" state in the country, according to the latest figures from the Pew Research Center, which suggest that more than three-quarters of adults born in Texas still live there. Alaska is the least sticky.

Entry February 21, 2013

We have been seeing signs of a real estate recovery in our own area since the end
of 2012. We are getting more calls and showings plus we have been writing
offers. Is the recession over...? No way we can say what will be coming in
the next months or  years. All we have is "recent experience". This has
been up on some blogs and seems to be a credible prediction based
on our activity here.

How "Real" is the Real Estate Recovery for 2013
from Merrill Lynch Associates 

Entry January 3, 2012

Texas' Private Sector Job Growth Outpaces Nation's

COLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) – Texas gained 227,800 nonfarm jobs from November 2010 to November 2011 according to the Center’s latest Monthly Review of the Texas Economy. That represents an annual growth rate of 2.2 percent compared with 1.2 percent for the United States.

The state’s non-government sector grew at an even faster rate, adding 292,700 jobs (3.4 percent) compared with 1.7 percent for the nation’s private sector.

Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent in November 2011 from 8.3 percent the year before. The nation’s rate decreased from 9.8 to 8.6 percent.

All Texas industries except the information industry and the state’s government sector had more jobs than the same time a year ago. The state’s mining and logging industry ranked first in job creation, followed by the professional and business services industry and the leisure and hospitality industry.

Read remainder of this blog entry about job growth
and how it effect real estate at this link:

 

Entry March, 2011

Spring is in bloom in East Texas.  Come out and enjoy the beauty!

Entry March, 2011

 Snow views around our home for the early January snow!

 There's no place like "Home for the Holidays", especially if the home is
 in the country in Northeast Texas!  The icicles are on the office in
 Downtown Canton.  Just a few days of ice and snow per winter. 
 Great place to live!

Entry September 27, 2010

Visit Van Zandt County in the Autumn.  You'll want to stay forever!

85 Years of Service

Entry September 2, 2010

We want to share remembrances of the 85 years of United Country,
formerly United Farm Agency. We share these memories from
our home office from their Blog entries.

Celebrating milestone sales
the United way

by ucrealestate on August 27, 2010

United’s founder, Roscoe Chamberlain, had a generous spirit that was recorded in many stories in the company’s record books. One story, however, was so monumental that it caused a national media frenzy.

Chamberlain was so proud of United Farm Agency’s accomplishments and so full of gratitude to the many loyal customers who contributed to the company success that he eagerly awaited the company’s 50,000th sale milestone and spent years planning for the event.

That milestone was reached in November 1955 when Bob and Aleene Sells and their seven children received their new 80-acre farm in southeast Missouri for free as a gift from United Farm Agency.

Cheryl Jacks, a 48-year employee of United, and the only current employee with the pleasure of meeting Mr. Chamberlain in person, shares the story of the 50,000th sale in the video below.

The company continued Chamberlain’s tradition for many more years by celebrating major milestones along with way.

In 1965, the company reached its 100,000th sale. After years of flipping through United Farm Agency catalogs, Col. G. E. Brown, U.S. Army, and Maj. H.A. Mott, U.S. Army, purchased a 150-acre tract in Athens, Texas. The gentlemen had plans to improve the property and were thrilled when they learned that United Farm Agency would be paying the entire cost of a full carpet of Bermuda grass for the land, to celebrate the company’s milestone.

United’s 200,000th sale was recorded in October 1974 when the company presented a brand new Ford Country Squire to Mary Alice Lawson and Elizabeth Kenney to put to use for their business, Humpty Dumpty Nursery School.

Four years later, in 1978, the company celebrated the 250,000th sale by treating Ray and Brenda Hamilton, who had purchased a 160-acre dairy farm in Lebanon, Mo., to a property makeover complete with the painting of the home and all outbuildings, tilling of the fields,
and the use of an express moving van service, compliments of United Farm Agency.

Help us celebrate 85 years of service by calling us to help you find your perfect property in North East Texas!

Retirement Land Investment

from

You Can Invest in Land with a
Self Directed Retirement Account

You can invest in Land, improved or unimproved with a “Self Directed Retirement Plans” since the IRS has allowed them. No one wants to talk about it. “They”, the investment firms do not make money on a Land transaction because “they” are not licensed real estate agents. Only licensed real estate companies can take commissions and are not allowed to pay referrals except to other active real estate firms. The traditional investment community has had control of over 97% percent of the retirement accounts and they have been making a great living off your hard earned money.
Your stock broker or financial advisor will not advise you how to take money away from their pockets and invest in real estate through your IRA, or 401K plan either. The financial magazines run large ads for brokerage firms and mutual funds T.V. and radio investment shows are supported by the same Wall Street advertising dollars…your money. I would be curious to see how many investment magazines will publish this article or if any investment shows will address this topic.
Stated on the IRS website “…..because of “administrative burdens”, many IRA trustees do not allow IRA owners to invest IRA funds in Real Estate. IRA law does not prohibit investing in Real Estate but trustees are not required to offer Real Estate as an option.” No commission for real estate sales may have a say here described as “administrative burdens”.
An Individual Retirement Account is a personal savings plan that allows you to set aside funds for your retirement. Investments made within these plans grow in either a tax-deferred or tax-free environment.
The IRS allows your IRA to earn tax free or tax deferred income with NO limitations on how much you receive—you can earn thousands of dollars with no tax consequences. A “Self-directed IRA” will allow you to choose your own investment strategies to earn significantly more for your retirement.
The term ‘self-directed’ does not actually have any legal connotation. It does not imply a different type of IRA, or a separate set of IRS rules. ‘Self-directed’ is simply an accepted industry term indicating that the IRA custodian is allowing the IRA owner greater control over their investment decisions. When an IRA account is self-directed, the IRA owner makes all of their investment decisions and instructs the custodian to act. You must have a custodian as a third party administrator.
Be careful who you choose as your custodian. Most of these “professionals” are part of the same old 97% controlling crowd previously mentioned. Our recommendation is that you find one that charges an administration fee and believes in Land Investments.
Traditional IRAs, SEP IRAs, Roth IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, Coverdell Education Savings (ESA) a.k.a. Educational IRAs, Qualified Annuities, Profit Sharing Plans, Money Purchase Plans, Government Eligible Deferred Compensation Plans, Keoghs are qualified plans that can be converted into “Self-directed Retirement Plans”. For more detailed information visit the Internal Revenue Service’s website. Also see Publication 590. On pages 40-41 you will see what investments are not allowed. Land is not included and therefore qualifies as does other types of real estate investments.
Our recommendation is to Stay away from investing your IRA money into an S corporation. S corporations only allow individuals (not entities) and certain permitted trusts to be investors. So if your IRA (an entity) is the investor, the S Corp would lose its status and its tax rate would change to a potentially less favorable one. Roth accounts can be used but take time to accumulate larger funds portfolios.
When purchasing Land with funds coming from an IRA, remember that the IRA itself must purchase the Land and hold the grant deed. All property taxes for that Land must also be paid from the IRA. The self-directed IRA should be opened first with cash or funds rolled over from other IRAs, 401ks, retirement plans, and then the Land should be purchased. Large tax penalties can occur if these transactions are not done properly. Proper care in deciding when to sell or lease the Land is also important. Land, especially pre-developed Land, is a long-term investment and often needs to be held for a minimum of five to seven years to produce the highest returns.
You can leverage a Land purchase with as little at 15% down and amortize 20 years with Farm Credit. They are located throughout the United Sates with different names. In the Land Brokerage business they are called “The Land Bank”. Farm Credit has had the most consistent programs for Land investors. Because of your increased buying power when you use leverage, the profits you make from the ability to use leverage can greatly outweigh the tax associated.
For more information we also recommend you visit, IRAAA™ is a nonprofit education-oriented alliance of financial planning, real estate, legal, banking, investment, and accounting professionals interested in further developing the niche industry of Self-Directed IRA & 401(k) investing. Their Promise is “IRA Association of America aims to provide affordable, unbiased and comprehensive education on the topic of investing with a Self-Directed IRA or Solo 401(k)”.
Make sure that you Google “Self Directed Retirement Accounts” and other associated words. Do your homework. This article’s sole mission is to stimulate your creative juices and reveal part of this untold story. After all you be in control of your own destiny and have the benefits of being a Land Owner. The greatest freedom there is.