Blog – John Angell – Paragon Realtors

Architectural Corner – Ranch

Few people look at ranch-style homes and are taken aback by their bold lines and curves, but they are nonetheless a staple of American residential architecture.

Most ranches, unless converted, are typically single story, with a low-pitched gable roof, rectangular design, large windows, attached or detached garages, and an emphasis on openness with as few interior walls as possible. Aside from decorative shutters, ranch homes are some-what lacking in unnecessary elaborate features.

Ranch homes are the result of a fusion of prairie-style houses and informal bungalows of the early 20th century. Architect Cliff Mays was credited with building the first ranch home in San Diego in 1932. Following World War II, ranch homes exploded in number because of their simple, economical de-signs to meet the needs of veteran’s families.

Ranch-style homes are often thought of when one imagines a “cookie-cutter” neighborhood, but their affordability and versatility have made them numerous and an important fixture in America.

The Virtues of a Cold Shower

The modern world is all about convenience and comfort, and a nice hot shower is no exception. It loosens the muscles, soothes the skin, and leaves you relaxed. Unfortunately – like many modern comforts – it prevents us from benefits our ancestors enjoyed without even knowing they enjoyed them.

A shower below 70 degrees can be considered “cold”, although the colder the water the more the benefits. It can improve:

Circulation/Inflammation – Just like an ice pack on an injured area, a cold shower enables blood to reach your cells, aiding in recovery, decreasing post-workout muscle soreness, and facilitating recovery all over your body. It also aids in clearing of your lymphatic system and improving your immune system.

Healthy Hair & Skin – Not sold solely on the anti-inflammatory properties? Cold water both facilitates hair and skin regeneration. It also prevents us from losing too many of our natural skin oils as we shower.

Elevated Mood & Reduced Stress – Cold showers lower uric acid and boost glutathione in the blood, helping reduce stress.

Weight Loss Stimulation – There are 2 types of fat in the body: white and brown fat. White fat is made up of lipids, and is the fat we don’t want. Brown fat (also called adipose tissue) contains far more mitochondria than white fat, and is activated when you get cold. It maintains our body temperature and burns calories to produce heat.

Instant Alertness – There are physiological reasons for this, but consider taking a cold shower and not being 100% awake afterwards. This to me goes hand-in-hand with improved mood. Prior to cold showers, I typically practiced meditation at the beginning of the day to center myself. I haven’t had to do that at all since I started cold showers.

I began taking cold showers in February, starting at 30 seconds and ultimately reaching the goal of 2:30 after increasing my time :15 each week. While the initial shock of cold water doesn’t subside, within 20 seconds the shock becomes both invigorating and therapeutic.

Vague Specifics – May 2021

I was going to title the main newsletter ‘The Quick & The Homeless’, but that would have probably been misinterpreted by someone in this day-and-age. The point would obviously be to illustrate how fast the market currently is; until inventory starts to climb it’s going to remain this way. Given the mass immigration to the DFW area, the only things I can imagine will cause this is a spike in interest rates or hyperinflation. We’re in no danger of the former, but the later is starting to be discussed. This is anecdotal, but our usual Monday sushi meal spiked from $36-42 over the course of the last week. There was a time when it was in the upper $20s for the same meal… but I digress.

We are back to a market tempo similar to 2014, a time when I’d see a house come online at 8am, I’d take my clients for a tour at lunch, and immediately after they’d need to decide whether or not to make a play for it. It’s a market where a buyers moral victory is getting the house, especially when there is a backup offer in place that takes away your leverage as a buyer.

“But John, you bold yet oblivious savant”, I hear you ask, “Surely this can’t last for long and eventually the real estate market will come crashing back to Earth.” Well, dear reader, don’t expect anything to change for at least the next 2 years. There are simply too many people, too many jobs, too low interest rates, and too few homes to go around. The cost of building has skyrocketed due to a shortage of materials and labor, and builders are backed up a full two years from demand.

Spring is officially upon us, and I know that means for you what it does for me: Disc Golf. Thanks to the Covid lockdown, disc golf participation has more than doubled in the last 12 months, and although I’m sure the numbers will subside now that the economy has opened back up, many people like me are irretrievably hooked. If anyone ever wants a good excuse to spend 2 hours in the great outdoors, throwing discs at a big basket, give me a call. I’m just good enough to give some advice.

DFW MLS Statistics – May 2021

Architectural Corner – The Bauhaus

“Bauhaus” is a German expression meaning “house for building”. Following Germany’s defeat in World War I, architect Walter Gropius was appointed to head a new department that would help rebuild the country.The institution, known as “the Bauhaus”, rejected “bourgeois” details to architecture such as eaves, decorative details and cornices, opting to use classical architectural principles in their purest form.

Bauhaus properties generally feature flat roofs, smooth facades, and cubic shapes. They use almost exclusively glass, concrete and steel in their construction. Colors are white, gray, beige and/or black. Their floor plans are very functional.

The Bauhaus was disbanded when Hitler and the Nazis rose to power; Gropius and his fellow Bauhaus leaders immigrated to the United States and continued their building. Their influence can be seen in American Mid-Century Modern and today’s contemporary homes.

Beyond Spring Cleaning: Servicing Your HVAC

There are a lot of things – from changing your car’s oil to treating your home for termites to buying new underwear – that should be done in regular intervals. Often forgotten until it’s too late is servicing your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioner).

CHANGE YOUR FILTERS! – The easiest thing you can do is keep your filters clean, and it makes a profoundly helps not overtax your system. Dirty, clogged filters can lower your air conditioner’s efficiency by 5 – 15%, or even more, it can shorten your HVACs life by years. Most technicians suggest replacing your filter every 1-2 months, depending on the filter. One thing I’ve also learned in 18 years of real estate is that a dirty air filter is often a sign of a negligent seller, and if the filter looks like it hasn’t been changed in years, chances are other mechanicals are suffering from neglect as well.

SCHEDULE SEASONAL CHECK-UPS – General rule of thumb is to have a licensed technician inspect your system before systems switch between heating and cooling. April and October are good. It’s more of a safety issue with the heater – especially if it’s gas-powered – but if your air conditioner is out of coolant, it can be miserable.

MONITOR YOUR COMPRESSORS – It’s important to keep your outside system clean, and free of debris. Leaves will eventually fall into the system, the paint will eventually start to peel, but if you have cottonwood trees nearby, ivy growing, or tall grass, your exterior coils can easily become clogged. Clogged coils will decrease your unit’s efficiency and can end up drastically shortening the lifespan of your system.

BONUS: MONITOR YOUR SECONDARY DRAIN LINE – Depending on when your property was built, there should be a mysterious piece of PVC leading through a gable below your roof or above a tub or sink. This is your secondary drain line. If this is dripping water it means the primary line is clogged, which can lead to damage to the secondary drain pan or even a leak. If you see this dripping water, call your trusted HVAC technician.

Vague Specifics – April 2021

It’s been a really wacky 2021 thus far in real estate, a sort of perfect storm if you don’t mind overused expressions stemming from George Clooney films. We need inventory more than any other time in my 17 years in the business. Of course thanks to Covid, many people decided not to sell because they a) didn’t want strangers in their home and b) suffered a precarious financial situation with the economic shutdown. The vaccine is out (in case you haven’t heard) and people are getting back to work, but as of the writing of this we still don’t have much of a recovery in terms of inventory. California and other states continue to hemorrhage both jobs and residents, an enormous of them coming to Texas, many of those coming with huge bags of cash after selling their 2 bedroom shanty in Malibu for $1.5 million.

“But John, you muscular yet painfully sensitive litterateur,” I hear you ask, “builders are putting up houses by the thousands. Isn’t that going to help with the shortage of inventory?” Well, fake person, there aren’t enough builders, newly-plotted subdivisions, or labor crews to keep up with the mass migration to the DFW area. New construction inventory is backed up almost 2 years, and with the cost of labor and materials, “affordable housing” is a very difficult prospect.

As I write this (Tuesday, 4/27), I’m feeling a bit under the weather after getting my second Pfizer shot yesterday, butI definitely felt worse after the first. Meanwhile, my 80-year old mom got both of hers and felt just fine. I swear older generations are just tougher. My vaccine status isn’t something I air in public because the vax/anti-vax camps are so polarized. I chose to get vaccinated for my own reasons, but I completely understand those who are choosing not to get theirs. It’s a scientifically-backed vaccine, created by the finest medical labs on Earth, but it is still an experimental treatment with many noted side effects. My point is, give a touch of grace to the other side because neither is 100% right in this.

Architectural Corner – Ranch

The Virtues of a Cold Shower

Vague Specifics – May 2021

DFW MLS Statistics – May 2021

Architectural Corner – The Bauhaus

Beyond Spring Cleaning: Servicing Your HVAC

Vague Specifics – April 2021

MLS Statistics: April 2021

Beyond Spring Cleaning: Servicing Your HVAC

MLS Statistics – March 2021

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