WHAR'S THE BEEF???

Whar's the Beef? you say...It's in Allen, Texas of course!

 

Katie and I attended the 2010 Rancher's Reserve Cattle Drive festivities culminating at the Allen Event Center this morning.  The cattle drive is one of the FREE activities associated with the Texas Stampede Event.  In its 10th year, the Texas Stampede has helped thousands of families by raising money for Children's Medical Center of Dallas.  This is the first year it will be held in Allen, Texas.  The American Airlines Center in Dallas hosted the first 9 events.  

I welcome this event to the community as a volunteer, but also because my family has personally benefited from the excellent medical care at Children's.  It's a cause I can believe in!

Of course, this beef would be about as tender as 3-day-old boots fresh off the press.  If you want fresh, grass-fed beef and all the wholesome, natural fixins you can now find them across the street at WHOLE FOODS MARKET in the Villages of Fairview.  Whole Foods has scheduled a Grand Opening for Monday, November 1st.  The Heard Museum of Natural Science will be on hand to provide activities and information for the kids.  I may/may not attend the Grand Opening, but I can tell you that I WILL be shopping there!

Did I mention that Katie had her Cowgirl Bling too?  Is she just too cute or what?? 

Lovejoy ISD - HOMECOMING 2010

The communities of Fairview and Lucas unite to celebrate the First Annual
Lovejoy ISD HOMECOMING, welcoming its first graduating class back to attend the festivities.  Homecoming is a tradition among most high schools, especially those in Texas.  What makes this day unique is that it will be the FIRST Homecoming for the scool district and will be dedicated to the Lovejoy Graduating Class of 2010.

DATE:  Friday, October 22, 2010

Activities Planned:

Lovejoy Leopards Inc Fundraiser Golf Tournament - Held at the Heritage Ranch Golf Course

Pep Rally - 3:30pm - LHS Gym

Varsity Football Game vs. FRISCO Lonestar Rangers - 7:30pm - LHS Football Stadium

GO LEOPARDS!!!

Half-time Homecoming activities include crowning of the Homecoming Court 2010 and special performances by the LHS Marching Band and Majestics Drill Team.

Also taking place will be the Volleyball Games vs. Frisco Lonestar - 5:00pm - LHS Gym


SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT - A BIG Congratulations to the Lovejoy High School Varsity Choir because they took home the Grand Champion Award at the Annual Red River Sing-Off, a Texas and Oklahoma choral competition for Divisions 1A-4A schools held at Southeastern Oklahoma State University on October 12!

OPEN HOUSE THIS SATURDAY

4004 SIOUX DR, MCKINNEY TX (edit/delete)

OPEN HOUSE this weekend!  Saturday, October 23rd, 11:00am - 3:00pm

Open the red door of this beautiful 3/2.5/2 home to find custom features throughout. The island kitchen has on-site built custom 42" stain-grade cabinets; luxurious 6-ft soaking tub and tiled shower in master bath; huge walk-in master closet; short hallway to 2^ndbath provides privacy for 2^nd and 3^rd bedrooms; half-bath for the guests; rubbed bronze hardware and fixtures throughout home. Decorative shelf in the entryway and bay window in the dining room add elegance to the open floor plan. Fireplace in the family room. Builder's attention to details such as 8/12 pitch roof set this home apart in the neighborhood. Move-in ready now!

Enjoy close proximity of McKinney's Inspiration Park and Naomi Press Elementary. Neighborhood hike and bike trails and picnic areas. Convenient access to I-75 and Hwy. 5.

View YOU TUBE video of home here.

Founder’s Day Celebration ~ Lucas, TX

Mark your calendar! The City of Lucas will host its annual Founder’s Day Fall Fest on Saturday, October 30, 2010. The parade will begin at 1:00pm at City Hall and end up back at City Hall at 2:00pm, where there will be FREE food, booths, activities, and games. Prizes will be awarded to the 1^st and 2^nd place parade entries. There will also be prizes for best costume in each age group. Trunk or Treat will begin at 6:00pm, followed by fireworks at 7:00. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet your fellow Lucas residents and provide a safe and fun Halloween activity for your children. As in the past, everything is free. 

To find out more, visit the Lucas Texas website or contact Council Member Rebecca Mark.


Search for homes in Lucas Texas. 

Friday Night Football ~ Collin County Showdown

The Lovejoy Leopards will face the Prosper Eagles tonight at Lovejoy Stadium to kick off the 2010 District 13-AAA season. The Leopards are 4-0 in preseason play, while the Eagles are struggling at 2-3. Lovejoy is looking to build on State Semifinal berth in 2009 and this game will be a highly contested match. Lovejoy ISD officials are anticipating 1500 - 2000 visitors tonight to watch the showdown.

The communities of Fairview and Lucas will be on hand to witness the presentation of the Lone Star Cup Award at half-time of the game. Lovejoy accumulated the most UIL points in both Academic and Athletic competitions in the 3-AAA division in the 2009-2010 school year to win the coveted award.

Grab your favorite football seat and come on out! Extra burgers and hot dogs will be on hand at the concession stands.

For those who cannot make it to the game, you can watch it live or catch a re-play at Sportsgram Channel 4.

GO LEOPARDS!!

UPDATE - LEOPARDS WIN 42-21!!


LOOK OUT TEXAS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP 2010....HERE WE COME!!!

Inspiration Park ~ McKinney TX

Inspiration Park is a great neighborhood park located adjacent to the Pecan Ridge Estates Subdivision between I-75, Hwy. 5, off Bloomdale.  Kids of all ages can find something to do in the splash pad, playground, sports court, or on the hiking/biking trails.  Oh…and there are picnic/grilling areas and lots of open space as well.  

It’s a great place to be on a beautiful Fall day in Texas!  See why it’s only one of the many features that make the City of McKinney “One of the Top 5 Best Places to Live in America” as voted by Money Magazine 2010.

Search for new homes for sale in Pecan Ridge Estates in McKinney, TX.

Inspiration Park
4212 Shawnee
McKinney, TX

Home Buying Doesn't Have to Be Spooky!

Here are some tips to improve your home-buying experience.  Take the stress out of the process by beginning with the loan instead of the home.  Putting the horse before the cart will keep those ghosts from haunting in your sleep!

1)  Visit with a lender before you begin your home search- Nothing worse than falling in love with the "perfect home" in the "perfect neighborhood" only to find out you don't qualify for the monthly payment.
2)  Get at least a prequalification letter from your lender. Most real estate agents won't even take an offer without a prequal letter attached. But a preAPPROVAL letter is best!
4)  Apply early (before your lease is almost up, deadline for job transfer, etc) to give your lender time to determine if better credit scores will lower your monthly house payment. The biggest impact on your interest rate (which directly affects your payment) comes from your FICO scores. Sometimes even a few points improvement might improve your rate an 1/8% to 1/4%!
5)  Let's go house hunting! Buying a home can be one of the most stressful events in most people's lives. Why? They are worried about getting loan approval. Once your loan is approved, the tricks are done and you can enjoy the treat of focusing on how you are going to arrange your furniture in your new home and where your Christmas tree goes for the holidays!!

Repogate Hits Texas!

Well, it's official...the Texas Attorney General has halted all Foreclosure processes, including the sales of foreclosed homes.  The AG mailed a letter to 30 mortgage servicing companies in Texas ordering a review of all documents that may have been robosigned by employees during the foreclosure process.
Click here to view a list of the companies who received the letter.

If you are currently involved in the foreclosure process or have a question about this issue, please call the Texas Association of  Realtors Legal Hotline, 800-873-9155, 8:30am - 5:00pm.

You Gotta See This ONE! Custom Home in McKinney TX ~ $169,900

4004 Sioux in Pecan Ridge Estates

Open the red door of this beautiful 3/2.5/2 home to find custom features throughout. The island kitchen has on-site built custom cabinets; luxurious 6-ft soaking tub and tiled shower in master bath; huge walk-in master closet; short hallway to 2^nd bath provides privacy for 2^nd and 3^rd bedrooms; half-bath for the guests; rubbed bronze lighting and fixtures throughout home. Decorative niche in the entryway and bay window in the dining room add elegance to the open floor plan. Fireplace in the family room. Builder's attention to details such as 8/10 pitch roof set this home apart in the neighborhood. Move-in ready now!
Enjoy close proximity of McKinney's Inspiration Park and Naomi Press Elementary. Neighborhood hike and bike trails and picnic areas. Convenient access to I-75 and Hwy. 5.

Move-In Ready Custom Home ~ McKinney, TX ~ $158,900

909 Kiowa in Pecan Ridge Estates
This lovely 1-story 3/2/2 home is chock-full of custom features including on-site built custom kitchen cabinets; tile accents in kitchen, master bath, and 2^nd bath; and rubbed bronze lighting and hardware throughout. Awesome master bath includes separate shower with dropped shower pan and tile walls, 5 foot soaking tub, his/her sinks, and large closet. Open floor plan with fireplace in family room and raised ceiling in master bedroom.  This home backs up to a brick fence for even more privacy. Must see to appreciate the attention to detail this builder has put in this home.
Prime location adjacent to new Naomi Press Elementary and McKinney's Inspiration Park. Neighborhood hike & bike trails, picnic and grilling areas.  Easy access to I-75, Hwy 5, and soon-to-be-completed Bloomdale (crosses I-75 near new Collin County Courthouse).

Call today to see your new home!  Tammy Pearce 214-994-6474

This is very important information for homebuyers who are considering the purchase of a foreclosed home in Allen, Fairview, or Lucas, Texas.  Please take the extra steps to insure that your home will have adequate title insurance before the transaction is closed.  The future of this issue and how it will be resolved is unclear.  Protect yourself by using a knowledgeable, reputable title attorney such as T. Craig Friesland with Stewart Title in Allen!

Via Tim Maitski (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta):

The sale of many foreclosed homes could become very difficult if this policy starts spreading.

The company, Old Republic National Title Insurance, told its agents Friday that it would not write policies on foreclosed Chase properties until "the objectionable issues have been resolved," according to a memorandum sent out by the firm's underwriting department.

Chase isn't the only company having issues with title.  GMAC and Bank of America are delaying foreclosures until they see if they can straighten the title issues.

Here's a good article to get up to speed on the issue.  In a nutshell, most banks that are foreclosing on homes probably don't have the legal authority to do so. Shortcuts were done in the transfer of titles during the  securitization of the mortgages in order to save time and money.  Now many banks are creating fraudulent affidavits and creating and back-dating documents that they had previously intentionally destroyed.  It's one big mess that the banks created.

If other title companies follow suit or write policies with exemptions for these issues,  the sale of foreclosures could come to a standstill.

One proper way of clearing this all up is to disassemble the mortgage backed securities and have the originating banks buy them all back.  Then the originating bank will have a valid title again and will then be in an legal position to foreclose on the home.  The banks will fight tooth and nail not to let this happen because it will mean that they will be the ones eating the losses from the foreclosures and not the investors of the mortgage backed securities.  This will probably bankrupt most of the major banks who were the source of these mortgages. 

But this would be the right thing to do and it would place the losses where they belong, on the banks who originated these loans and on the buyers who took out these loans.  The system would be cleansed and the banks that weren't involved would be in a position to grow and prosper and rebuild the banking system.

Alan Grayson, a Congressman in Florida, did a nice video covering the issues with the faulty titles.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqnHLDeedVg

 

OPEN HOUSE - 2004 Huntcliffe, Allen, TX

OPEN HOUSE Sunday, October 3, 2010 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Property Description: Gorgeous home in highly sought after Custer Meadows Subdivision connected with TWIN CREEKS. Home features 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, gameroom and oversized gargage. Cool off in the Texas heat with your own backyard oasis. You will not be disappointed in this home from the open floorplan, surround sound speakers and wet bar in the gameroom. Subdivison also features a neighborhood park, walking trail, picnic area and community pool. $269,000
Directions: From 75 North exit McDermott and head west. Turn right on Custer and the turn right on Burnside. turns into Huntcliffe home on the right.

Cabela's is Coming to Allen, TX

The 2-Story, Hunting-Fishing-Boating-Camping-Outdoors Megastore will open its 100,000 square-foot store on 14 acres of land off Cabela's Drive, just south of the Village at Allen shopping center in May 2011.  It will not only create 120 new jobs, but will also aid the City of Allen in its continuous efforts to lower property taxes.  Part of the 15-year contract includes a requirement that Cabela's will make minimum annual sales of $40 million in taxable items, or pay a penalty.  With the addition of Cabela's to Allen's retail base, the AEDC has been able to decrease the property tax rate for the 17th year in a row.  That makes Allen a great choice for homebuyers wishing to re-locate to the DFW area.
Today, we drove an hour to attend a crappie fishing seminar presented by a local fishing guide.  This time next year, we will be able to drive approximately 6 blocks for the same information.  As for the shopping, there are thousands of products set among a shooting gallery, aquarium, multiple museum quality displays, a restaurant....And for those who prefer to mix business with their outdoor recreational shopping, a Conference Center. 
As for me, my sole purchase was a batter bowl in
preparation for the upcoming fish fry!