Mark Hancock Realtor

09/25/2026

Price-Adjusted Condo in RISD!
Skillman St., Unit 304
Dallas, Texas 75231
Listed at $175,000
MLS # 21181034

This ground-level condominium in a gated community in Dallas has 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, a wood-burning fireplace, a clothes washer and dryer, a refrigerator, and a covered and fenced patio with outside storage. It’s ideally located near shopping, transportation, employment, dining and entertainment inside the desirable Richardson ISD. Ceramic tile flooring in common areas. The carpet in the bedrooms was recently installed. The kitchen features white appliances, a large stainless-steel sink, loads of storage space, a pantry and a window for fresh air. The community mailboxes are located at the front of the building, and the community pool is to the back, with sidewalks connecting to both. The Lake Highlands Trail and Jackson Branch Creek are located behind the complex. The trail connects to White Rock Trail about a half mile from the complex. This is a perfect property for first-time buyers or for your investment portfolio since the refrigerator, washer and dryer will convey.
Listing: https://dfwmark.kw.com/property/6900-Skillman-Street-304C-Dallas-TX-75231/2085109670495896

I’ve Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AHWD
REALTOR, New Home Certified
214-862-7212 (call or text)
[email protected]
DFWmark.com

09/18/2026

Free CE: WDI Reports (Wood Damaging Insects)
Please join us on Monday, Sept. 21 at 10 a.m.
The class will be taught by Garrett Hand of Elite Inspection.

An untreated Wood-Damaging Insect infestation can derail a real estate transaction. A WDI report is required in Texas for any VA loans. This report should be part of any residential inspection in Texas.
This class qualifies toward a Home Evaluation Specialist certificate through Elite Inspection. The certificate requires eight CE hours within the program.
All agents from any brokerage are welcome to attend for free CE credits. All others, including investors, are welcome to attend to get this valuable information at no cost.
Classes are held in the upstairs Training Center at:
Keller Williams North Country
1212 S. Preston Rd. Celina, TX 75009
972-382-8882

I’ve Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, REALTOR
214-862-7212 (call or text)
[email protected]
DFWmark.com

09/17/2026

Texas Football Culture
Have you ever experienced Friday Night Lights?
Football is a Texas obsession. The games involve the entire community. From the musicians to the toddlers dressed as cheerleaders or their favorite players, to the tailgate maestros and the booster club vendors, everyone knows where they will be each fall weekend.
Let’s hit the gridiron with a scouting report on Texas football.
See more: https://dfwmark.blogspot.com/2026/09/texas-football-culture.html

Y’all can download my newest book “Welcome to Texas” for free! Print a copy for your coffee table and share it with friends. It is a great starter guide for new Texans and proud Texans who love the state. View or download the new book or my other books for free at: https://dfwmark.blogspot.com/2021/11/free-books-by-dfwmark.html

I’ve Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AHWD
REALTOR, New Build Certified
KW North Country
214-862-7212
[email protected]
DFWmark.com

09/11/2026

Mastering A Growth Mindset
Unlocking Your Unlimited Potential
14 Sept. 2026 @ 11 a.m.
KW North Country
1212 S. Preston Rd, Training Room (2nd floor)
Celina TX 75009
972-382-8882 (for more information)

Please join us at the KWNC Training Room for “Mastering A Growth Mindset” with A***n Jafarzadeh and Christopher J. Cuellar. This event allows agents from any brokerage to learn core values, passion/enthusiasm, environment, and deeper relationships. The 1-hour course provides Free CE for licensed Texas real estate agents.
The course takes a holistic approach to help you improve your decision-making, strategic planning, and unlock your unlimited potential to help you take your real estate career to the next level.
The series welcomes any licensed agents and brokers from any brokerage. All others welcome for no CE credit. No strings attached. Go to this link to see the entire schedule: https://dfwmark.blogspot.com/2026/02/free-ce-schedule-2026.html

I've Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AHWD
REALTOR, New Build Certified
214-862-7212 (call or text)
[email protected]
DFWmark.com

09/10/2026

Should I buy a house now or later?
There's no clean "now or later" answer. Timing the market is a gamble, because rates could easily go higher before they go lower. Here's a practical thought: if you buy now, you lock in today's rate — and if rates fall significantly in the coming years, you can refinance to capture the savings later.
If you wait for lower rates and they never come (or home prices could climb while you wait), you've lost both ways. So, the best question is, "Can you comfortably afford the payment now, and do you plan to stay in the home for several years?" If yes to both, buying now is generally a safer plan than waiting on a prediction nobody can make with certainty.
Long-term pension plans and national debt are affecting mortgage rates. Pension plans are natural heavy buyers of long-term bonds. They must match decades-long payouts. Meanwhile, 401K savers mostly buy shorter maturities while pensions shrink and pull back from long bonds. Fewer big buyers means the government must offer higher yields on long-term debt, which keeps pressure on the 30-year (above 5%) and mortgage rates (6.7–6.9%). Net effect: mortgage rates are unlikely to fall meaningfully anytime soon.
The real problem is brewing in the long-term bond market. Because the government borrowed record amounts (debt has crossed $40 trillion), Treasury yields on long-term bonds have climbed to their highest levels in nearly two decades — the 30-year has been above 5% for its longest stretch since 2007. That matters for real estate because 30-year fixed mortgages are priced off the 10-year Treasury (currently near 4.8%), and the pressure has already pushed mortgage rates to roughly 6.7–6.9%. Analysts say if the 10-year hits 5%, mortgages could climb back above 7%.
When could this hit? The risk is front-loaded: the September Fed meeting (next week) and year-end debt supply are the near-term catalysts. Expect rates to stay elevated for a while.

I've Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AHWD
REALTOR, New Build certified
214-862-7212 (call or text)
[email protected]
DFWmark.com

09/05/2026

Local Market Housing Statistics - Sept 2026
The weather is still hot, but the housing market is cooling down. The Total Active listings decreased in most reported counties and cities. There is a normal cyclical decline in listings after school starts in August.
Almost half of the reported cities are in Buyer Market territory with more than six months of inventory. All three reported counties have inventory around five months.
Denton County increased its Median Listing Price, while each county had a different result in Median Sold Prices. Prosper had the lowest Median Percentages of Original Price at 92.7%, followed closely by Celina at 92.8%. Melissa came closest to the original price at 96.8%, which is about $16K off target on a $500K house.
Of the reported cities, only Plano remains a Seller’s Market with less than four months of inventory. Plano has the lowest reported median days on market at 21 days, while Prosper has the highest at 71 days. Van Alstyne has the highest year-over-year (YOY) inventory increase at 92.0%. Aubrey has the lowest at -16.4% from last year.
McKinney has the most Active homes at 1,218, while Melissa has the fewest at 206. Prosper continues to have the top Median List and Sold prices, as well as the highest Median Price Per Square Foot (PSF) at $230 PSF. Anna is the most affordable reported area this month, with listings at $169 Median PSF.
All three reported counties' median price PSF this month have settled near $197. Dallas County has the most Active properties at 8,051. Dallas County also has the highest median closed percentage of the original listed price at 96.3%.

Nationally, high mortgage rates and affordability are the big drivers. A 30-year fixed conventional loan is nearing 7% (6.995% APR). Consumer confidence is aggravated by the war with Iran, elevated fuel prices, and overall inflation.
H-1B visa issues have an outsized effect on the Collin County housing market. The Dallas area received more H-1B approvals from 2020 to 2024 than all metro areas except NYC. Builders say international buyers — many H-1B holders — were 70–75% of new-home sales in Celina in 2021–2025 (HousingWire). One builder reports that share has dropped from about 70% to below 30% (Bloomberg).
Overall, North Texas faces cooling sales, flattened prices, and a balanced market between Buyers and Sellers. Locally, Buyers have more choices and Sellers have less leverage.

If you plan to move to a select North Texas city or want to know more about your hometown, I started the Your City series (https://dfwmark.blogspot.com/2026/08/your-city-series.html) on my blog. We explore the origin & incorporation, size, distances from City Hall to hubs, what it’s known for, national/notable awards, top employers, most prominent/prestigious employers, notable people, major attractions & amenities, education levels, schools, UIL breakdown & state titles, bordering cities, lakes, highways, airports, public transportation, and major future plans.

I've Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AHWD
REALTOR, New Build certified
214-862-7212 (call or text)
[email protected]
DFWmark.com

09/05/2026

How to Read Housing Statistics - August 2026
There is no “good” or “bad” market. It is what it is. People always need to buy, sell, and lease homes in every market. Rather than analyzing this month’s numbers in isolation, I’ll explain how you can view and interpret the data for yourself.
Unless a global crisis or macroeconomic shift interferes, the real estate market follows regular seasonal cycles. These are largely influenced by the annual school calendar: buyer activity typically increases starting around spring break (March) and remains elevated through the summer until the new school year begins (August). There is also often a minor uptick in late December through January driven by end-of-year moves, job relocations, or mid-year schedule changes.
Next, let’s understand how the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) calculates the “median.” The median is the exact middle value of a dataset, where half of the numbers fall above it and half below. Using the median prevents extreme outliers—like ultra-luxury sales or foreclosures—from skewing the market picture the way an average would.
• Median Listing Price is the middle asking price for active properties in a specific market (city, county, etc.). The list price represents what sellers are asking for their properties, which may or may not reflect fair market value. Sellers aim to maximize their equity; if properties in a higher price tier aren't moving, sellers may adjust prices or temporarily withdraw luxury listings until demand improves. Changes in inventory supply and seller pricing expectations directly drive the Median Listing Price up or down.
• Median Sold Price is the exact middle sale price among all closed transactions in the dataset for that period. It is not a direct "comparable" for an individual home because it represents an entire city or region. Because real estate transactions typically take 30 to 45 days to close, this metric reflects market agreements struck during the previous month, showing the overall direction home values are moving relative to listing prices.
• Median % of Original Price is the percentage ratio of the final closed sales price divided by the original listing price ($Close Price \div Original List Price$). It indicates how closely final sale prices align with sellers' initial expectations. If this metric drops below 90%, it signals a significant gap between initial list prices and current buyer demand. Additionally, this metric captures the total price movement from the property's original list price through any price reductions, whereas Percent of List Price Received measures only the gap between the final/current list price and the closed price.
• Total Active represents all active residential listings on the MLS during the report period across all property types (single-family, condos, townhomes, land/ranches) and home conditions (resale and new construction). This metric reflects only MLS-listed inventory; many builders market only model or sample homes on the MLS while selling remaining inventory off-MLS at volume.
• Closed Sales represents the exact count of completed transactions finalized through the MLS during the period. Tracking closed sales volume reveals market momentum—when closed transaction volume changes significantly, it impacts inventory absorption rates and pricing metrics across the board.
• Median Days on Market (DOM) measures the middle number of days from initial listing to an Executed contract (not Closed), providing sellers a benchmark for how quickly appropriately priced properties are selling in the current market.
• Median Price per Square Foot Sold is the middle value of the calculated rate ($Sold Price \div Livable Square Feet$) across all closed sales. In rural areas, this number can be higher if purchase prices include significant land/acreage value factored into the home's square footage alone. However, it remains a helpful regional baseline when comparing similar property types across neighboring areas.
• Inventory Months (Months of Supply) measures how many months it would take to sell all current active listings at the current monthly pace of sales. It indicates negotiating leverage:
o Less than 4 months: Seller’s market (inventory is low relative to demand)
o 4 to 6 months: Balanced market
o More than 6 months: Buyer’s market (inventory exceeds current demand)
• YOY Percentage (Year-Over-Year) measures the percentage change of a given metric compared to the exact same period from the previous year. When applied to Months of Inventory, a positive YOY increase indicates that supply is growing relative to sales pace (shifting toward a buyer's market). Conversely, a negative YOY change indicates supply is tightening relative to sales pace (shifting toward a seller's market).

I've Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AHWD
REALTOR, New Build certified
214-862-7212 (call or text)
[email protected]
DFWmark.com

09/03/2026

Rock Hill and Richland were settlements in the Prosper area before they became the names of high schools in the Prosper ISD. Want to learn more about Prosper?
https://dfwmark.blogspot.com/2026/08/your-city-prosper.html

I’ve Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AHWD
REALTOR, New Build Certified
KW North Country
214-862-7212
[email protected]

Prosper, Texas Origin & incorporation • First settlers arrived in 1846, drawn by fertile blackland prairie soil. • Two early settlements...

09/02/2026

What do you know about Celina?
https://dfwmark.blogspot.com/2026/08/your-city-celina.html

I’ve Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AHWD
REALTOR, New Build Certified
KW North Country
214-862-7212
[email protected]
DFWmark.com

Celina Origin story • Settlers arrived in the 1870s, drawn by rich blackland soil along the Preston Trail. • A settlement formed about 1...

08/29/2026

Free CE: 1031 Exchange – A Broad Overview
Taught by subject expert Whitney Nash
Sponsored by Above & Below 1031, LLC.
31 August 2026 @ 10 a.m. (Monday)
1212 S. Preston Rd.
Celina TX 75009
972-382-8882 (for more information)

Please join us for this valuable class! A 1031 exchange is a tool from the Internal Revenue Service that lets real estate investors sell a property and buy a new one while delaying capital gains taxes. If you ever work (or plan to work) with investors, you need this knowledge.
All agents from any brokerage are welcome to attend for free CE credits. All others, including investors, are welcome to attend to get this valuable information at no cost.

The 1-hour course provides Free CE and welcomes any licensed agents and brokers from any brokerage. All others welcome for no CE credit. No strings attached. Scan the QR code to see the entire schedule or go to this link: https://dfwmark.blogspot.com/2026/02/free-ce-schedule-2026.html

I've Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, REALTOR
KWNC Education Committee Chair
214-862-7212 (call or text)
[email protected]
DFWmark.com