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Allen, TX Real Estate News

By Tammy Pearce, Tammy Pearce
(Haute Realty 214-994-6474)
Set your Alarm or DVR - WFAA "City of Allen" Party on the Plaza!   News 8 Daybreak has invited the City of Allen’s businesses and community to come out to Victory Plaza this Friday, July 15 at 5:30am to 7:00am for a "Party-on-the-Plaza." Allen’s Mayor Stephen Terrell will be there along with at least 100 of our most spirited community members to let everyone in the metroplex know all about Allen and why it's truly the BEST PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY! Do you have a business, civic or community group that wants to join in the fun this Friday?  If so, please contact Karen Cromwell, Tourism Manager, at kcromwell@visitallentexas.com to find out more.   Home of the CHL Allen Americans - 2009/2010 Southern Conference Champions  -  Allen Wranglers - Indoor Football League  -   Lone Star Conf...
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By Tammy Pearce, Tammy Pearce
(Haute Realty 214-994-6474)
Summer Theatre Workshop - Allen Arts Alliance   Have a student who loves the spotlight?  Here's Summer Fun just for them:   Summer Theatre Workshop July 25th - August 5th Monday - Friday 8 am to 4 pm. We're looking for students who have just finished 5th grade through student who are heading into 12th.  Courses will include such topics as Stage Combat, Acting Shakespeare, Audition Techniques, Make Up Artistry, and more.  Student work will be showcased in an Evening of Entertainment on Friday evening. Cost is $180 for one week or $300 for both weeks. We are an energetic group; we love working with kids; and we love theatre!  Our teachers have decades of experience in theater, several are working professionals in the field.  For more information e-mail:  allenscommunitytheatre@gmail.com o...
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By Tammy Pearce, Tammy Pearce
(Haute Realty 214-994-6474)
Lucas Texas Market Report - Claremont Springs Jan. 1 - June 30, 2011   NEW CONSTRUCTION and RESALE Luxury homes that sold in The Claremont Springs luxury community in Lucas Texas Jan. 1-June 30 are showing that buyers need to come prepared to make the deal.  The New Construction home was on the market for a while, but the RESALE home was sold in less than two weeks! There is one New Construction Home available currently in Claremont Springs and one RESALE home.  If you are looking for a quality, custom home in the Allen ISD, this is the neighborhood you need to look! Homes SOLD and Currently AVAILABLE in Claremont Springs:   Claremont Springs is a tranquil countryside community offering 1 to 1 1/2 Acre Homesites in Allen ISD. These large sprawling homesites provide the perfect opportuni...
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  Building a new home can be exciting. This experience is probably once in a lifetime for most people, which means they pour their heart and soul into it. But, with the dream comes stress. This stressful process can be smoother if one follows a few simple principles. The Contractor Probably the most important part of the process is choosing a reputable contractor. One should research contractors in the area and see what other people's experiences were, then ask at least three of these contractors to bid on the project, in order to get the best deal. Bids should be very specific as to the scope of work and who is responsible for the different aspects of the contract. The contract should also include a very specific schedule to keep frustration to a minimum. This specificity can avoid ser...
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  If you are considering the purchase of a new central air conditioner unit, you probably already have come across the term "SEER" and might wonder what it means. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The higher the SEER rating of a unit, the more energy efficient the system will be -- if it is properly sized and has been properly installed. A unit with a higher SEER should result in lower energy bills -- again if it is the correctly installed. The SEER number is based on tests to determine how much cooling is produced compared to the energy used. The SEER rating does not indicate how well the system cools; a higher number does not mean it cools better than a unit with a lower number. It indicates how much it will cost to create cooled air. The higher the SEER number, it les...
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  Stainless steel appliances are beautiful and durable. If you want to keep your stainless appliances looking great then you're going to have to take steps to ensure its beauty lasts. Regardless of whether it's a refrigerator or a stove special care can keep your appliances as beautiful as the first day you got them.   The cleaning products that are often used for kitchens are not always appropriate for stainless steel appliances. You may want to use a stainless steel specific cleaner or use a citrus based degreaser. Either product is considered to be safe on stainless and leave behind a non streaking shine. These products do, however, have their drawbacks.   Many of the stainless steel specific cleaners perform well on the appliances but can do damage to the floors. Tile and wood floor...
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By James Hurt
(Broker)
  Hosting a dinner party used to be an event. It was a time to bring people together, share some special times over a great meal, and even add a little bit of formality to the meal. A dinner party gave everyone a chance to mingle, to socialize, and to make new friends. Simply sharing a special evening together always seemed to bring everyone so much closer.   Today, many of us are so busy we have forgotten the importance of gathering people together and creating our own special occasion. There doesn't need to be a holiday or a birthday to gather around the table. A dinner party used to be the special event rather than a way to earmark a special event.   Children in their dress clothes would stay up way too late and fall asleep on the couch. A little bit of wine followed by the best reci...
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  Facebook increases sales of all kinds, including home sales. It is amazing how quickly a social network can pass on information and develop interest in what you have to offer. As a social site, Facebook is one of the fastest and most reliable in terms of soliciting interest. You can reduce the time your home is one the market simply by actively engaging in this social circle online.   The internet has opened up new ways to market all kinds of things. This, of course, includes your home. When you post news, information, or updates regarding your home it is listed on the pages of all of your contacts. These contacts can then cross post, or post the same posting again on their wall, so that any of their contacts who are not your contacts will see the information as well. You can ask your...
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By Tom Branch, Broker, CDPE, SFR, ACRE, Plano TX Ambassador
(RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs)
Click for Larger View Gina and I flew over The Preserve in Allen this morning in the RE/MAX® Balloon. This vantage point gives you a good view of how things are progressing. The development is really starting to take shape! The lake has been completed and is starting to fill. You can also see that the lots have been surveyed and leveled. The roads have been laid out and the developer will be installing utilities soon. You can see the stacks of blue-green pipes at the front of the development. You can see all homes for sale in Twin Creeks, Allen, TX here. Read more about The Preserve in Allen.Source: http://www.thebranchteam.com/wordpress/2011/06/29/a-balloon-view-of-the-preserve-in-allen/Photo Copyright 2011 - Tom Branch
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By Tammy Pearce, Tammy Pearce
(Haute Realty 214-994-6474)
Surf's Up - Cable Wakeboard Coming to Allen Texas!   Who says you can't enjoy the waves living in a land-locked community 4 hours from the nearest beach?  That's right folks!  The entertainment options in Allen just got SPLASHED!       Scheduled to open mid-summer (July?) Hydrous @ Allen Station Park, the new private-public venture between the City of Allen and America’s Cable Park Group is expected to be popular not only among residents but also visitors who will travel distances, hundreds of miles even, to visit the park and its many amenities. The park will feature a full-service pro-shop, restaurant, outdoor beach and viewing areas, and three lakes for riding — two smaller ones and one approximately five acres in size. Here you can see the holes have been dug, the cable supports are...
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A closet can actually be one of the most important "rooms" in a home. A home for sale that has closets that are jammed packed with belongings is not going to sell as fast as the same home that has a well organized closet. Messy closets simply make the area look too small. No one wants to have to deal with small closets. Closet space is directly related to overall cleanliness and tidiness of a home. Most buyers are looking for a reasonably sized closet.   Start by emptying out the entire closet. Yes, the whole thing. You do not want a lot of stuff in the closet so in order to effectively decide what will go in the closet and what will be stored elsewhere you need to empty it out from top to bottom. Choose some season appropriate clothing to keep in the closet. Do not jam all that you can...
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  Organic pest control is a much better option than chemically based products that can ultimately be damaging to everyone in the house. Kids, domestic companions, and even adults can have adverse reactions to chemically based pest control products. In many cases these products do little more than kill what comes in contact with it versus actually deterring the pests from being there in the first place.   There are a lot of ways to go about embracing organic pest control. You can purchase products that are organic and safe to use around most domestic companions. You can also concoct your own pest control remedies. One of the simplest ways to keep rodents from entering your home is to use a mason jar with one moth ball placed inside. Poke two holes in the lid and then place jars where eve...
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Every single day each of us uses energy. We all use water. We all create a certain amount of waste. There are many simple things that each and every one of us can do in order to cut down on the waste, use less energy, and have a smaller impact on the environment. Whether you live a conservative lifestyle or you tend to live without thinking much about your impact on the environment, you can cut down on your footprint.   Some of the steps toward a cleaner life are very easy. Using a thermostat that allows you to program the temperature setting for day time and night time helps to keep your energy use down. Heating and cooling temperatures don't need to be as prevalent at night. Turning the heat cooler at night and the air conditioning warmer at night helps to conserve a great deal of ene...
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By Tammy Pearce, Tammy Pearce
(Haute Realty 214-994-6474)
  Cow Appreciation Day - Not Just a Texas Thing! Holy Cow!  It’s time to break out your cow-spotted apparel and leave your wallet out to pasture. On Friday, July 8, Chick-fil-A® restaurants nationwide will celebrate the chain’s annual Cow Appreciation Day® event by offering a FREE Meal to any customer who visits one of its Mall or stand-alone Restaurants fully dressed as a cow. My sister has a cow outfit from a past Halloween....wouldn't that be a blast?! Customers dressed “head to hoof” in cow attire will be rewarded with a free Chick-fil-A Meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner), which includes an Entrée of choice, a side item and a Dr Pepper® (or other beverage choice). For those “too chicken” to wear full cow costumes, Chick-fil-A will award a complimentary Entrée to customers dressed in ...
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  With Independence Day coming up, many people are planning a 4th of July get-together. What a wonderful way to welcome summer, meet new friends, meet up with people you haven't seen in a while, or even promote a home that's for sale. Unique patriotic ideas  for your 4th of July party can sometimes be difficult to develop, but are well worth the trouble. Flag it! United States flags are fairly inexpensive, and can be a wonderful way to decorate for a party. Hang them from fence posts, attach them to decks and "plant" them with posts in the ground. Flags can be very versatile. Use them as place settings. Miniature flags can be used for name cards, and flags can even be used as directional signs. Streaming decor! Use streamers in red, white, and blue to decorate light posts, fences, decks...
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Keep an Eye on your Pets as Temperatures Rise If you're expecting higher than usual temperatures, just moved to a warmer region or have a new pet here are basic pet care guidelines for hot weather.    Protect Skin and Use Sunscreen Just like humans, pets have different sensitivities to the sun. Thick coated, dark haired pets don’t need to worry about skin cancer, but light haired, short coated pets do. Search your dog or cat for patches of pink skin, usually around the nose, and apply waterproof sunscreen. If you opt for a cool puppy cut for summer, inspect your now short-haired dog for exposed pink skin and treat with sunscreen. As with humans, try to avoid long exposures to direct sunlight.   The Dog Days of Summer Black asphalt gets extraordinarily hot in the summer. Avoid asphalt a...
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Container gardening is a great way to enjoy herbs in a patio space. Containers allow the plants to be closer to the house making it easy to pick herbs as needed. Containers also have the advantage being taken inside, especially useful for Idaho real estate owners during winters, as they can be placed on a windowsill. Container gardening is only a little different than a usual garden. Because of the smaller size it's important to use good potting soil and a little fertilizer to keep the plants healthy. It is also important to make sure that the pot has good drainage, otherwise the plant may become waterlogged. What Herbs Work Best for Containers? Mint is a great herb for containers, in fact left in a garden it can easily take over. Mint comes in a host of varieties from regular mint to ...
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Looking for new functionalities on your iPad? Today, this new technology has uses both inside and outside of the home. eWhole home automation is an emerging technology aspect that many homeowners are beginning to seek out.  They are doing this for a variety of reasons, including energy savings, convenience and added value to the home.  There are a wide variety of objects within a home that can be controlled in some shape or form with an iPad; appliances, lighting, the pool or spa, and even your home entertainment systems.  A popular system for controlling many of these is called X-10 and can be found at most home retailers.  This system works through the electrical system to turn on and off with a remote.  They also now have integrated controllers that allow an iPad to communicate and ...
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 This year, as more and people embrace the joys of advanced technology, the home entertainment industry is striving to not only meet the wants and needs of consumers, but to offer innovative ideas as well. Home entertainment is no longer confined to the living room or office. With all of the options available on the market this year, it appears that there are really no confinements at all. Trends in home entertainment include new ideas and applications most people never imagined possible. Inside out: enjoying the great outdoors just got more creative. Many manufacturers are introducing new ways to watch TV; outside. Manufacturers have designed televisions that have the ability to be placed in outdoor living-areas. These televisions are designed to hold up to sun, wind, and even rain. T...
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As people move away from having a single family desktop computer toward having multiple computers, laptops and web-enabled entertainment devices (like the Wii, Xbox, and many new Blu-Ray players), having a wireless network in their home becomes a necessity. Thankfully, it is easy to set up a wireless network, even for people who don’t have an IT background.   In order to set up a wireless network, some basic equipment is required: A broadband internet connection (usually via a cable or satellite provider) A wireless router, a DSL modem, or a cable modem with built-in wireless networking support A computer or other device with built-in wireless connectivity (or a wireless modem that can be installed on the computer)   Once the equipment is ready, the process is simple: Ensure that the b...
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