On July 4 and 5, the city of McKinney will host a community-wide celebration of freedom, family fun, food and entertainment. All Red, White and BOOM! activities are free and open to the public. The two day festival will feature non-stop activities for the whole family to enjoy at locations through out the city. This hometown event will kick off at 10 a.m. on Friday July 4 in Historic Downtown McKinney. Activities include a parade, Veterans Salute, Antique Car Show, and Sidewalk Sale for Patrons to enjoy while experiencing the unique atmosphere the town square has to offer. At 4:30 p.m., residents from all over the Metroplex and beyond will join us at the Soccer Complex at Craig Ranch for and evening of chart topping music, food and fun! The evening will start out with a BANG with the in... 05/06/2008

Here's a snapshot of how the real estate in Stone Brooke Crossing in McKinney, TX fared for April 1- April 30, 2008.The month ended with 11 Active listings.5436 Pebble Court 2,546, 4 BR, 2 / 1 BA $182,500 - reduced $177,450209 S Village DR 3,280, 4 BR, 2 / 1 BA $229,9005209 Rolling Rock DR 3,304, 4 BR, 3 BA $229,9005408 Pebble Court 2105, 3 BR, 2 BA, $164,0005432 Crystal Court 2105, 3 BR, 2 BA, $169,9005417 Pebble Court 2105, 3 BR, 2 BA, $174,9005304 Sandstone Lane 2390, 3 BR, 2/1 BA, $190,000520 Rock Ridge Way 2592, 4 BR, 2/1 BA, $209,000 - reduced $200,0005521 Fairfax Court 2574, 4 BR, 2/1 BA, Pool $175,0005412 Crystal Court 2546, 4 BR, 2/1 BA, $186,0005525 Amber Way 2631, 4 BR, 2/1 BA, $199,900One Option Period: 5500 Fairfax CT 2,311, 4 BR, 3 / 1 BA Pool $214,900 Three Sold Listings:... 05/04/2008

When it's not 100+ degrees outside, McKinney is home to some great walking spots. Want to know where the best are, McKinney Newbie? Read on below...Hike & Bike Trails in McKinney Stonebridge Ranch - Stroll the hills along Stonebridge Drive for a great workout. This pedestrian-friendly trail allows walkers to go underneath major intersections in the tunnels. You'll also enjoy strolling through Adriatica! This path is a favorite for me!Town Lake Nature Trail- A beautiful, wooded area southwest of Towne Lake and is connected to the Wilson Creek hike and bike trail system and Wilson Creek Nature Trail.  (82.3 acres)Town Lake - McKinney's premier park area. Park amenities include a 22 acre lake, lighted hike/bike trails, two picnic pavilions, restroom/concession services, playground, two san... 04/30/2008

McKinney TX HomesMcKinney Texas is located in Collin County and bordered by , Plano, Frisco, Prosper, Melissa and Anna. McKinney has a diverse selection of homes and new home builder communities priced from the low $100s to the Millions. The zip code for McKinney is 75069 and the city is served by the McKinney ISD as well as Frisco ISD. McKinney Neighborhoods, McKinney Home Builders, McKinney Schools. 04/28/2008

Just in case you missed it, last weekend was Tucker Hill's Model Opening and Spring Market. I had it on my calendar for a few reasons:1. This is the equivalent to attending the grand opening of the first Stonebridge Ranch models back in the late 80's. Stonebridge Ranch was a unique concept - well, still is actually - but Tucker Hill is raising the bar. I wanted to be able to say I WAS THERE from the beginning!2. My husband had his own reason for wanting me there. He COULDN'T be there because he is a firefighter and was on shift saving lives that day. AND - it just so happens that the early birds recieved FREE MAGNOLIA OR CREPE MYRTLE TREES! Woo Hoo! And guess what folks - I got one! A nice little Magnolia tree, courtesy of the folks at Tucker Hill!3. It was a GORGEOUS Saturday morning a... 04/25/2008

This afternoon I was wandering around the southern edge of McKinney, and found a brand new neighborhood that features fifty... yes 50... home building sites... all of which back up to either golf fairways, sand traps, tees, or even greens. This is always a exciting find... especially when the prices of the homes starts in the $180,000 range.  If this sounds too good to be true... not to worry.  It's there... I saw it... and I took this picture !  The homes come with oodles of extras... the standard features sheet is pretty impressive for homes in this price range ! Every single one of these homesites backs up to the golf course.  Fairways, sand traps, tees and greens... what a great view for all the golf nuts in the family. This is always a exciting find... especially when the prices of... 04/20/2008

When people look out their rear windows, or when they are sitting on their back patios, they can see many things.  Most people see the back yard fence about twenty-five feet into the back yard.  And on the other side of that fence... is their back neighbor. Depending on whether your back fence neighbor is living in a two story, just about all of your own backyard privacy disappears quickly.                    This afternoon I was wandering around the southern edge of McKinney, and found a brand new neighborhood that features fifty... yes 50... home building sites... all of which back up to either golf fairways, sand traps, tees, or even greens. This is always a exciting find... especially when the prices of the homes starts in the $180,000 range.  If this sounds too good to be true... n... 04/19/2008

Highland HomesHighland Homes is a Dallas, Texas based homebuilder building upscale homes in master planned communities throughout Frisco, McKinney and Allen. Click Here to find your DREAM HOME!   HIGHLAND HOMESStonebridge Ranch / La Cima Meadows - McKinney TXFrom the $290sRequest BrochureHIGHLAND HOMESLakes of Prosper - Prosper From the $230sRequest Brochure HIGHLAND HOMESRidgecrest - McKinney TexasFrom the $230sRequest Brochure HIGHLAND HOMESWillow Ridge - Prosper, TXFrom the $350sRequest Brochure HIGHLAND HOMESStonebridge Ranch / La Cima Haven - McKinney, TX From the $430sRequest BrochureHIGHLAND HOMESAspendale - McKinney, TXFrom the $240sRequest Brochure HIGHLAND HOMESStonebridge Ranch / Aspendale McKinney, TX From the $430sRequest Brochure HIGHLAND HOMESCobb Hill - Frisco, TX From t... 04/09/2008

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner. Festive music, spicy food and patio dining while sipping an ice-cold Margarita are images that come to mind.According to Wikipedia: The Margarita is the most common of tequila-based cocktails, made with Triple Sec or other orange-flavored liqueurs, and lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the glass rim. Silver or blanco tequilas are preferred for margaritas, though some will use reposados or 'gold' tequilas.Margarita is the Latin word for pearl and the Spanish word for daisy.    So, McKinney Newbie, just where can you find a good Margarita?Aparicio's Restaurant  - it's just off the square downtown. The nightlife isn't bad either!Cristina's Mexican Restaurant - at the NW corner of 75 and EldoradoSaltgrass Steakhouse - I suggest the swirl... 04/08/2008

All I can say is WOW! The response we have recieved from our neighbors has been nothing but positive! Many have requested that we do this at the very least annually. In case you missed it, our team threw a neighborhood garage sale & open house tour this past Saturday, April 5. We live in the neighborhood and were very excited to serve our community.It all began early Saturday morning as Laura & I started putting out directional signs on Virginia Pkwy around 6 am. We could already see cars driving slowly around the neighborhood scoping out where the sales would be. We then placed a balloon on the mailbox of all featured garage sales so that they would be easier to identify. After all that was said and done, Laura and I set up our "Headquarters" next to the Crutcher Crossing entrance by t... 04/08/2008

If McKinney Texas is one of your choices to call home, you search might just end in this area of McKinney Texas: In the Eldorado/ US-75 area (west). You will find small communities nestled in wooded lots. If trees are what you are looking for, these communities, often custom built are what you may be looking for. Some of these communities began in the mid-1990s, however since they were custom-built (many of them area), they were built with features far beyond their times. The Master bedrooms are actually master retreats, many of them have 3-car garages, open and spacious floorplans. The kitchens are huge and enough to entertain many guests. Since the front and backyards are pictureque, these custom homes are built with the landscape in mind. Windows (and tons of them!) overlooks the bac... 04/07/2008

Here's a snapshot of how the real estate in Stone Brooke Crossing fared for March 1- March 31, 2008.The month ended with 8 Active listings.5436 Pebble Court 2,546, 4 BR, 2 / 1 BA $182,500 - reduced $179,500209 S Village DR 3,280, 4 BR, 2 / 1 BA $229,9005209 Rolling Rock DR 3,304, 4 BR, 3 BA $229,9005408 Pebble Court 2105, 3 BR, 2 BA, $164,0005432 Crystal Court 2105, 3 BR, 2 BA, $169,9005417 Pebble Court 2105, 3 BR, 2 BA, $174,9005304 Sandstone Lane 2390, 3 BR, 2/1 BA, $190,000520 Rock Ridge Way 2592, 4 BR, 2/1 BA, $209,000One Option Period: 5500 Fairfax CT 2,311, 4 BR, 3 / 1 BA Pool $214,900 - reduced $209,500Two Pending Sales:5504 Crystal CT 1,452, 3 BR, 2 / 0 BA $139,900513 Winding LN 2,095, 3 BR, 2 / 0 BA $169,900 3 Canceled listing:328 S. Village, 1967, 3 BR, 2/0 BA $169,0005301 Arr... 04/03/2008

Fox 4 reported that now is a good time for 1st time home buyer to buy based on pricing and grant money available in different cities. The 2 minute insert highlighted the city of Mckinney and a lady that received a grant for $5k to buy her 1st home.  We need more positive media like this in the news. 04/03/2008

If you're unfortunate enough to need to seek the services of a local hospital, McKinney is breaking ground on a new building - Methodist McKinney Hospital. The new hospital is a sign that McKinney continues to grow and provide necessary services for the growing population. Not too far in the distant future McKinney will be breaking ground on ANOTHER new Baylor hospital - at the corner of 380 and Lake Forest.Methodist Mckinney Hospital is located at the intersection of Eldorado Pkwy and Stonebridge Drive - conveniently located to serve the west half of McKinney. The hospital will be 2-stories and offers 65,000 square feet - an ER, 6 OR's, chapel, lounge and cafeteria services. Methodist McKinney is planned to be a smaller, "boutique" hospital that will not draw the traffic that Medical C... 04/02/2008

Every town across America has it's famous eateries. Sometimes they're not always the most obvious restaurants. Sometimes you've got to know where to look. Good thing you've found this blog, McKinney Newbie!If you're looking for a mouth-watering, good ol' fashioned slab of beef, here's where to go:Scotty P's - This place has so many local awards for the Best Burger category, that I can't list 'em here. This place is known in Collin County as THE Burger place to go! Also try their "Cardiac Fried" (you do the math to figure out the name on this one) and their Milkshakes!Culver's - famous ButterBurger - melt in your mouth good! Don't forget to top it off with the custard Flavor of the Day!Snuffers - yummy, yummy! You can also get a turkey or vegetarian burger if you ask!Whataburger - 24-hou... 04/01/2008

FHA Non Occupying Co-Borrower rules in a nutshell. Typically called a 'Kiddie-Condo' loan. FHA allows family members to help their kids buy their first home. Whether they are in school with no income or out in the real world and just need a little extra income to qualify. FHA allows for a family member to be a non-occupying co-borrower in order to assist in qualifying. This is available when your borrower would qualify for the loan when considering their credit but they wouldn't qualify because of debt ratios, employment, income and assets.   Adding a NOCB does not resolve credit issues!! The occupying co-borrower must be credit worthy or have no credit at all. Bad credit will kill the deal. No credit - no problem.   The occupying co-borrower does not have to be employed and does not ha... 04/01/2008

So you're new to McKinney and you need to find a place to pump some iron and get a great workout. Here's the good news - there's LOTS of choices for you! Lifetime Fitness - SW corner of Hwy 121 and Lake Forest (Allen) LA Fitness - NE corner of 75 and Eldorado YMCA - corner of Ridge Rd and Virginia Pkwy in Stonebridge Ranch Cooper Aerobic Center at Craig Ranch Curves - Virginia Pkwy & Stonebridge Drive in the Albertsons Shopping Center Lady of America - Eldorado Pkwy andRidge Rd in Market Street Shopping Center FOR THE LADIES! Are you tired of the normal workouts that don't produce any results? Do you need some motivation? I can personally vouch for Jean Silvertooth's - HARD CORE BOOTCAMP FOR WOMEN! I'm talking, awesome results and great workouts. There's never the same workout. I did Bo... 03/29/2008

I want to share with you here a story that hits close to my heart and the gentleman featured in this report actually has ties to the network of Active Rain. I'll provide links here for the back story on this and his connection to Active Rain, which, the long and short of it is that my husband's co-worker, Matt Budge, had a home in New Jersey that wasn't selling - it had been over 6 months - and he and his family were now living in Texas. Through the network of Active Rain and another professional home stager I got to know, Phyllis Parfumi, his home was staged and sold with the assistance of Phyllis and her staging recommendations and services.You can read the story below but just this week we found out that Matt was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, the prognosis is not good. His fa... 03/29/2008

If you've ever moved to a new town you know it takes quite a while before you are familiar with all of the new sights and sounds of your new hometown. You might feel a little lost, confused and unsure of where to go for just about everything! If you're new and you don't know ANYONE, then it can be even more difficult. As a McKinney citizen of 5 years, Collin County resident of 8 years and North Texas resident of 25 years, I feel like I might have just a little bit of information to offer to all those newbies out there! So just what IS the McKinney Newbie Series? It will be a weekly post of all the great, don't-miss, gotta-check-this-out, hot and fun spots in McKinney. Each week will be a different theme! Come here to find out where to get the best burger, haircut, manicure/pedicure, ma... 03/20/2008

  One of the new places that a fellow friend in the business pointed out to me that has been flooding with business is the city of McKinney located in Collin County, Texas.  I know it has attracted a lot of attention with being the nation's fastest growing city from 2000 to 2003 and again in 2006, but the market for homes lately in McKinney has grown even more for me.  What a great city! 03/20/2008