Christian Real Estate Professionals : Texas: McKinney

For all those that have asked me:

 "Why do YOU like living in McKinney, TX"?, or

 "What DFW city should I live in"?, or

"What's so special about McKinney, anyway"?

I give you this:

CNNMoney.com's Top 100 Places to Live as Exhibit A through Z!

WE'RE NUMBER 5!

Beating us out were: Eden Prairie, MN; Columbia/Ellicott City, MD; Newton, MA; and Bellevue, WA.

The reporters from CNNMoney.com reviewed cities with populations of 50,000 to 300,000 and poured over information regarding job opportunties, fiscal strength, schools, crime rate, health care quality and things to do (entertainment factor).

What impressed me was that the reporters didn't just look at the cold hard facts and rank cities sight unseen. No - they visited their Top 30 contenders in order to get a "feel" for the town. To get a picture of the unspoken charm or character that a towns posesses. Those things that residents know and feel in their hearts, yet can't be put into words.

Here's why McKinney, TX makes such a great place to LIVE and RELOCATE to!

• exceptional school system
• low real estate prices
• our "gem of a downtown"! I just LOVE that, since our brokerage resides in one of the restored 19th century buildings they mention!
• abundant employment opportunities within our own city - eliminating the need for a big commute

Read about it for yourself! It makes me that much more proud to not only get to work in such an awesome city, but live in it as well.

Why do YOU love living in McKinney, TX??

McKinney Spotlight On Dentist, Dr. James Barnes, DDS

I have a confession...

I lived in McKinney for quite some time (won't confess to how long) before I finally sought out a local dentist.

I'm guessing that like many of you reading this, a trip to the dentist does not rank too highly on the list of enjoyable ways to spend your time. I know few people who really love the sound of drills, smell of...well, I don't really know what that smell is, but you know what I'm talking about - floss, or flouride and latex gloves and sterile cleaning solutions. I don't know. Anyhow, back on track...

I finally ponyed up and made an appointment. I knew the receptionist for Dr. Barnes, and she guaranteed that the dental hygenist who cleaned my teeth was gentle and one of the BEST and that Dr. Barnes wouldn't be scary or drill-happy.

Just look at his picture - does he look like a crazed dentist? Not one bit! He's knowledgeable without being cocky, honest and up front without being rude, and all in all a NICE GUY!

The receptionist was right on the money! I had a GREAT experience. Seriously. Short of having my nails done or having a massage done at the same time, it was as good as it could have gone! Well, minus the work that I need to schedule to have done. But that's MY fault.

You can read about this awesome McKinney Dentist on his website.

He provides a full menu of services and his staff was friendly and accomodating. So, if you've just relocated to McKinney or are in the process of moving to McKinney, TX - give Dr. Barnes a call and set up a cleaning. Don't wait like I did!

Dr. Barnes and staff are located at 5080 Virginia Pkwy in McKinney TX. That's at the NW corner of Virginia and Lake Forest Drive.

Relocating to McKinney, TX 101 - What will my new McKinney home be like?

We've all heard that a large portion of fear, is fear of the UNKNOWN. When moving or relocating to a new city, there may be lots of fears and LOTS of unknowns! Especially if you have kids, like I do.

BUT WHERE WILL MY TOYS GO?

True story: When my husband and I were moving up from our McKinney townhouse in master-planned Stonebridge Ranch to a larger McKinney single-story detached home just a few miles away, my then 3 year old son was quite confused. He accompanied us on our house showings and would weigh-in afterwards about what he liked or didn't like. His comments were usually, "I like the house with the big trampoline", or "I LOVE the house with all the Star Wars toys!" and "Can we get the house with the Lego table in the boys room that is painted like outer space?".

I didn't put it all together until later that what HE was worried about were the FURNISHINGS TOYS in the home. He was scared to move to a place that didn't have cool TOYS. So, when we were standing in the house that we eventually bought, and said, "Yep - this is our new house - go pick out your room" he was scared. You see, the sellers had GIRL bedrooms. Pink. We finally put 2 and 2 together and explained to him that his things would be coming WITH us and the sellers things would going with them. We were fine and dandy after that point, but he didn't have any expectations of what moving would be like, he didn't have an idea of what kind of house we would move in to and these fears were sewn out of the UNKNOWN.

"MOM, WHAT'S OUR NEW HOUSE GONNA BE LIKE?"

While most adults are beyond a 3 year old's understanding of the moving process, that doesn't mean there aren't UNKNOWN'S. So, in an effort to educate those of you moving to our popular "Reloville", I'd like to present you with a list of 6 differences in what the homes in McKinney and surrounding areas are like, versus where you may be moving from! Share these with your kids too! Knowledge is power, and kids really like power.

1. With the exception of ONE community that comes to mind (Mallard Lakes), McKinney TX Homes do NOT have BASEMENTS. Welcome to North Texas, home of the clay soil! Clay soil + basements = cracking, bad mess of a house.

2. A large percentage of homes for sale in McKinney are brick. A popular trend is to incorporate natural stone in the elevations of homes, contributing to the very natural, country vibe that McKinney gives off.

3. Compared to many Northern and Midwestern states, our back yards are SMALL (average subdivision lot size is 60 by 120). Unless you are looking in the $500K+ price range where you might get a third of an acre up to 1 acre.

4. ...and speaking of back yards, many subdivisions use shared wooden fences. Other fences you might see if living on a golf course are the wrought iron fences that allow the views to be seen from the property.

5. It's HOT in Texas, therefore Community Pools are almost as necessary as air conditioning. Many of McKinney's subdivisions (large and small) offer small pools up to large beach club sized community pools sandy lagoons with splash pads! (Hint: the kids will LOVE this!)

6. One of the biggest befefits of moving to McKinney, TX is the fact that you can get a newer home at a reasonable price! Can I get an AMEN?

• 165 homes SOLD in McKinney (according to NTREIS MLS) from 6/29/09-7/29/09.
• Average price per square foot was $82.22
• Average AGE of home was 1998 - ONLY 11 YEARS OLD!
• Sellers received an average of 97% of sales price. Average list price was $231,558 and average sold price was $223,779.
• It took home sellers an average of 94 days on the market to get their McKinney, TX home SOLD!
• The average home that sold was a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home with 2681 square feet

We're looking forward to having you as our new neighbors here in McKinney, TX. If you have any other questions, or UNKNOWNS, no matter how silly you think they may be - ASK AWAY! That's what we're here for! My McKinney TX Homes blog just might have your answers. And if it doesn't, I'll make a blog post out of it! You have my word on it.

Moving to a North Dallas suburb can sometimes mean chosing between seemingly identical cities. They all have a Starbucks on every corner, several big chain restaurants, a Walmart (or three), a sprinking of unique dining options, great public and private schools across the board, impressive parks & rec and a broad range of real estate price ranges for every buyer. I love the 'burbs!

But many times it comes down not to the tangible traits of each city, rather the unseen "feel" that a city exudes. The "It" Factor. I've seen it happen time and time again. A buyer will just naturally gravitate toward a certain city or neighborhood. They can't really tell me why, but they feel drawn to it.

For me, and many others, what sets McKinney TX apart from the crowd is our Historic Downtown Main Street. Our Historic Square beats all others around... HANDS DOWN! We've GOT the "it" factor!

In case you didn't know, McKinney has one of THE oldest authentic historic downtowns in Texas. McKinney's Square was once the center of ALL commercial and social activity for Collin County (we are the county seat), and our city is STILL serving as a thriving, happening, energized retail, dining, entertainment and business center.

"The Square" offers over 100 boutiques and specialty shops, plus more than a dozen unique (no chains here!) restaurants. (Ladies, I'll spell it out for you = GIRLS WEEKEND DESTINATION!) You'll find award-winning chefs, sandwich shops, cafes (Spoons is my fave), outdoor patio dining (hang out at Poppy's) and neighborhood pubs with live music (check out Cadillac Pizza Pub). Don't miss the art galleries featuring the works of local artists, furniture stores, exquisite antique collections, numerous gift shops, spas and sought-after clothing boutiques (ladies - run to "Pumps"!).

Earlier this year (2009), the city announced the "Friends of McKinney Main Street" program. This allows anyone with a passion for McKinney's historic district an opportunity to donate and keep all of the Main Street programs alive! What programs? Just about every month you can find a festival or family event - Scare on the Square, Oktoberfest, Dickens of a Christmas, Red, White & Boom and Krewe of Barkus. The list goes on...

For more information on how to donate you can check out www.downtownmckinney.com.

**d + b real estate is proud to be a new business on the square! We love where we live and where we work. For more information about what makes McKinney "Unique by Nature", call or email one of our agents. We love working with relocating families to our area!

For a list of historic homes for sale in McKinney, TX email us at Realtor@RealFamilyRealEstate.com and visit our website to search the McKinney, TX MLS.

We're Number NINE! We're Number NINE! Goooooooooooo McKinney!

McKinney, TX has made several rankings lately: safest cities in the state and country, fastest growing cities in the country, best places to raise a family. In July 2009, McKinney was named one of the 25 Best Places to Move in the country by Forbes.com. Another cool fact? Four of the 25 cities are in Collin County! GO COLLIN COUNTY REAL ESTATE!

The four cities included Frisco, Flower Mound, Allen and McKinney. Nearby Carrollton made the list as well.

What did it take to qualify as a sought-after "Reloville"?

The number of residents born out of state, residents who relocated to take a job and those who moved from long distances in the last few years, number of professional jobs, population growth, income averages, home price and age and proximity to large companies.

The Skinny: McKinney boasts a population of 108,356 and is located 32 miles North of Dallas. One of the largest airports in the country, Dallas-Fort Worth International is 37 miles SW. Global employers nearby include Raytheon, Orthofix and Blockbuster. Demographics break down into White: 80.5%, Black: 10%, Asian: 2%, Hispanic: 16.5%. 42% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The important "Reloville" stat is that 50% were born in a different state or abroad and 23% came from out of state within five years. The Median family income is $87,193 while the Median home value holds at $180,900.

Are you interested in McKinney Real Estate?

Are you looking for a hometown expert that loves to take care of our newbies?

Contact d + b real estate - McKinney's newest boutique real estate company that focuses on our most important asset: our relationships.

In this secion of "McKinney's Ultimate Buyer's Guide", we'll look more closely at McKinney's neighborhoods by price range - from $450,000 up to $500,000. As of today, April 2, there are 43 luxury homes for sale in McKinney,TX within this price range.

You could start your home search in any of these unique neighborhoods:

Stonebridge Ranch - a sought-after master-planned community offering top amenities to homeowners, such as a beach & tennis club with sandy lagoon, aquatic center, stocked ponds, hike & bike trails and appealing landscaped entrances:

• Cypress Crossing
• Timber Crossing
• Cascades
• Village of Ballantrae
• Tanglewood Villas
• Wildwood Crossing
• Woodhaven
• Wellington Point
• Woodland Bridge
• Stratford Manor
• Wyndsor Grove
• La Cima Haven Meadows
• La Cima Manor
• Newport Village
• Hills Creek
• Kings Lake
• Adriatica Villas

Craig Ranch - another popular master-planned community centered around the PGA golf course at Craig Ranch. Area offers shopping and great schools:

• Settlement at Craig Ranch

Areas in and around Historic Downtown McKinney - own a piece of McKinney's history!

Tucker Hill 

And these great neighborhoods:

• Mallard Lakes
• Hidden Forest
• Estates of Verona
• Bluffs at Winding Creek
• Waterstone Estates
• Chancellor Creek
• Sorrellwood Park
• Clifton Park
• Flagstone
• Pecan Point

The Eldorado Countryclub Area:

• Eldorado Estates
• Forest Ridge
• Kensington Creek
• Village of Eldorado
• Village Creek Estates

Of the 43 Luxury Homes priced in this range in McKinney, they had the following characteristics according to MLS data:

• Average price per square foot is $116.68
• Homes on average are 4 bedrooms with 4,134 sq ft
• Ranged in size from 2556 - 5060 sq ft
• These homes were built all the way back from 1895! (Historic Homes) up to 2009 (new construction)
• 12 of the homes (24%) offered pools
• Almost all offered at least a 3-car garage, with a few offering 4-car garages!
  

Note: All data & photos taken from NTREIS

For more information about McKinney Luxury Homes visit www.McKinneyTexasHomesBlog.com.

In this next secion of "McKinney's Ultimate Buyer's Guide", we'll look more closely at McKinney's neighborhoods by price range - from $400,000 to $450,000. As of today, March 31, there are 58 luxury homes for sale in McKinney within this price range.

You could start your home search in any of these unique neighborhoods:

Stonebridge Ranch - a sought-after master-planned community offering top amenities to homeowners, such as a beach & tennis club with sandy lagoon, aquatic center, stocked ponds, hike & bike trails and appealing landscaped entrances:

• Cypress Crossing
• Greenbriar
• Canterbury
• Timber Crossing
• Cascades
• Village of Ballantrae
• Gallery at Stonebridge
• Tanglewood Villas
• Wildwood Crossing
• Woodhaven
• Wellington Point
• Woodland Bridge
• Stratford Manor
• Wyndsor Grove
• La Cima Haven Meadows
• La Cima Manor

Craig Ranch - another popular master-planned community centered around the PGA golf course at Craig Ranch. Area offers shopping and great schools:

• Settlement at Craig Ranch
• Wellstone at Craig Ranch

Areas in and around Historic Downtown McKinney - own a piece of McKinney's history!

Tucker Hill 

And these great neighborhoods:

• Mallard Lakes
• Hidden Forest
• Estates of Verona
• Waterstone Estates
• Chancellor Creek
• Clifton Park
• Village Creek
• Flagstone
• Pecan Point

The Eldorado Countryclub Area:

• Eldorado Estates
• Kensington Creek
• Village of Eldorado
• Village Creek Estates

Of the 58 Luxury Homes priced in this range , they had the following characteristics according to MLS data:

• Average price per square foot is $109.26
• Homes on average are 4 bedrooms with 3,931 sq ft
• Ranged in size from 2245 - 4974 sq ft
• These homes were built all the way back from 1910! (Historic Homes) up to 2009 (new construction)
• 13 of the homes (22%) offered pools
• Almost all offered at least a 2-car garage, with over half of them offering 3-car garages in this price range - with one equipped with a FOUR car garage!
  

Note: All data & photos taken from NTREIS

For more information about McKinney Luxury Homes visit www.McKinneyTexasHomesBlog.com.

In this next secion of "McKinney's Ultimate Buyer's Guide",we'll look at McKinney's neighborhoods by price range - from $350,000 to $400,000. As of today, March 15, there are 81 luxury homes for sale in McKinney within this price range.

You could start your home search in any of these unique neighborhoods:

Stonebridge Ranch - a sought-after master-planned community offering top amenities to homeowners, such as a beach & tennis club with sandy lagoon, aquatic center, stocked ponds, hike & bike trails and appealing landscaped entrances:

• Cypress Crossing
• Greenbriar
• Canterbury
• Brightwood
• Timber Crossing
• Saddlebrook Crossing
• Aspendale
• Hickory Hill
• Cascades
• Village of Ballantrae
• Gallery at Stonebridge
• Freedom Park
• Brightwood
• Tanglewood Villas
• Wildwood Crossing
• Woodhaven
• Wellington Point
• Thornberry Ridge

Craig Ranch - another popular master-planned community centered around the PGA golf course at Craig Ranch. Area offers shopping and great schools:

• Settlement at Craig Ranch
• Wellstone at Craig Ranch

Areas in and around Historic Downtown McKinney

Tucker Hill 

And these great neighborhoods:

• Mallard Lakes
• Hidden Forest
• Flagstone
• Estates of Verona
• Waterstone Estates
• LaCima Haven Meadows
• Chapel Hill
• Chancellor Creek
• Clifton Park
• Ridgecrest
• Village Creek

The Eldorado Countryclub Area:

• Eldorado Estates
• Kensington Creek
• Village of Eldorado

Of the 81 Luxury Homes priced in this range , they had the following characteristics according to MLS data:

• Average price per square foot is $104.13
• Homes on average are 4 bedrooms with 3,655 sq ft
• Ranged in size from 2390 - 4974 sq ft
• These homes were built all the way back from 1895! (Historic Homes) up to 2009 (new construction)
• 19 of the homes (24%) offered pools
• Almost all offered at least a 2-car garage, with half of them offering 3-car garages in this price range.

Note: All data & photos taken from NTREIS

For more information about McKinney Luxury Homes visit www.McKinneyTexasHomesBlog.com.

The weather is warmer, trees are starting to bloom and real estate market activity is coming to life. Just how did the Collin County real estate market shake out for the February 2009? Here's a peek:

• Allen: 109 sales (-38% from prior yr); Avg sales price $229,051 (-7% from prior yr); Avg Days on Market: 96 (- 1% from prior yr)
• Frisco: 284 sales (-15% from prior yr); Avg sales price $285,712 (-2% from prior yr); Avg Days on Market: 90 (-17% from prior yr)
• McKinney: 188 sales (-33% from prior yr); Avg sales price $207,463 (-8% from prior yr); Avg Days on Market: 78 (-17% from prior yr)
• Plano: 318 sales (-30% from prior yr); Avg sales price $265,662 (+4% from prior yr); Avg Days on Market: 73 (-10% from prior yr)

The number of sales are down across the board in double digits...more than 15% across the board. Average days on market, however, saw a decrease in all 4 cities compared to 2008. Plano was the only city of the four to show an increase in the average sales price.

What does this mean for home sellers? It's STILL important to price your home accordingly!! The first 2 weeks on the market are the most crucial. With fewer sales being reported, and more homes to choose from, your home needs to be the cream of the crop!

Although sales are down, DFW is doing GREAT! If you want more information about the Dallas or McKinney Real Estate market, go to www.TexasRealEstate.com. Each market is different - contact a REALTOR for information about YOUR area!

As always, remember, sellers have control of only TWO things:

1. Price! Don't overprice - enough said.
2. Condition! Consult a home stager if necessary.

Do you need a Collin County Realtor with an agressive international marketing strategy to get your home SOLD? Contact the Barron-Daugherty Team at d + b real estate today. Spring is almost here - call us for a NO-PRESSURE home market analysis today. 972-838-5394.

In this next secion of "McKinney's Ultimate Buyer's Guide",we'll look at McKinney's neighborhoods by price range - from $300,000 to $350,000. As of today, March 6, there are 61 homes for sale in McKinney within this price range.

You could start your home search in any of these unique neighborhoods:

Stonebridge Ranch - a sought-after master-planned community offering top amenities to homeowners, such as a beach & tennis club with sandy lagoon, aquatic center, stocked ponds, hike & bike trails and appealing landscaped entrances:

• Arbor Hollow
• Arbor Glen
• Wyndsor Grove
• Saddlebrook Crossing
• Muirfield Point
• Aspendale
• Hickory Hill
• Cascades
• Village of Ballantrae
• Meadow Ridge
• Lake Point
• Saddlehorn Ridge
• Hillsborough
• Mayberry Park
• Freedom Park
• Brightwood
• Wren Creek
• Spring Hill
• Wildwood Crossing

Craig Ranch - another popular master-planned community centered around the PGA golf course at Craig Ranch. Area offers shopping and great schools:

• Settlement at Craig Ranch

Areas in and around Historic Downtown McKinney

Tucker Hill 

Hidden Creek

Village Park - Allen ISD

And these great neighborhoods:

• Mallard Lakes
• Flagstone
• Estates of Verona
• Waterstone Estates
• Creek Crossing
• Sorrellwood Park
• Virginia Woods
• LaCima Haven Meadows
• Chapel Hill
• Chancellor Creek
• Cambridge
• Ridgecrest
• Brookside at Winding Creek
• Hillside at Winding Creek

The Eldorado Countryclub Area:

• Eldorado Estates
• Village of Eldorado
• Sunset Ridge Estates
• Fairway Vista at Eldorado
• Eldorado Lakes
• Fawn Hollow

Of the 60 Homes priced in this range , they had the following characteristics according to MLS data:

• Average price per square foot is $99.28
• Homes on average are 4 bedrooms with 3,352 sq ft
• Ranged in size from 1726 - 4528 sq ft
• These homes were built all the way back from 1910 (Historic Homes) up to 2009 (new construction)
• 23 of the homes (34%) offered pools
• Almost all offered at least a 2-car garage, with half of them offering 3-car garages in this price range.

Note: All data & photos taken from NTREIS