The McKinney Third Monday Trade Days is a unique outdoor shopping experience for those who may be interested in a non-traditional shopping setting. The Third Monday Trade Days is located in McKinney off Highway 380 between Lake Forest and Hardin. Come prepared for an eventful day to visit over 400 vendors that offer unique items, home decor, trendy clothing and women's hair and jewelry accessories, antiques and collectibles and domestic pets. The McKinney Third Monday Trade Days is very similar to flea market shopping with state-fair food concessions. For the young children, they are also invited to go on a train or pony ride. The Trade Day is called Third Monday because the fair/ market is only open one weekend a month on the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) BEFORE the 3rd Monday ... 08/10/2009

What do the McKinney North High School Swim & Dive Team, Chinese Food and Car Washes have in common?    +     +   = ????   By themselves, nothing. But when you put them all together on Saturday, August 8 at the Panda Express on the corner of Virginia Pkwy and Stonebridge Drive you come up with one AWESOME fundraiser that EVERYONE loves. Drive your dirty car on by the Panda Express beginning at 10:30 am and make a donation to the MNHS swim & dive team. Help them raise money for scholarships and equipment that they'll need for the upcoming 2009-2010 year. While you're getting the car cleaned, step inside where you can eat some yummy Panda Express chinese food - my fave: Orange Chicken and Spring Rolls! 20% of your order will also go towards MNHS fundraising efforts. It's a win-win. You ge... 08/07/2009

Here's a snapshot of how the real estate in Stone Brooke Crossing fared for July 2009.The month ended with 5 Active listings:5424 Pebble Ct 1,449 sqft, 3 BR, 2 BA, $130,0005214 Hawks Nest 2,523 sqft 4 BR, 2.5 BA, $198,9005532 Broken Bend 3,081 sqft, 4 BR, 3.5 BA, $218,9875304 Sandstone Lane 2,390 sqft, 3 BR, 2.5 BA, $229,800 Reduced $224,9405320 Rolling Rock 3,304 sqft, 4 BR, 3 BA, $234,9001 Option listing5500 Crystal Ct 1,838 sqft, 3 BR, 2 BA, Pool, $175,0003 Pending listings:309 Blue Spring 2,584 sqft, 4 BR, 2.5 BA, $212,900501 Rock Ridge Way 1,838 sqft, 3 BR, 2 BA, $154,9005205 Geode 2,600 sqft, 3 BR, 2.5 BA, $209,900 Reduced $189,9002 Sold: Home 1: 1,838 sqft, 3 BR, 2 BA, $154,162Home 2: 2,105 sqft, 3 BR, 2 BA, $164,500Do you need a McKinney Realtor that specializes in Stone Brooke ... 08/06/2009

Stonebridge Ranch is located in McKinney, Texas, 30 miles north of Dallas. Stonebridge Ranch features a private country club with two golf courses as well as an 18 hole public golf course. Stonebridge Ranch is the place to live in McKinney Texas. With more amenities than in almost any other community, Stonebridge Ranch is making a strong name for itself.Homes from $200k to $2M+ Recreation-Stonebridge Ranch has the only beach club in north Texas, aquatic center, on-site YMCA and facilities. Parks-Stonebridge Ranch offers hike and bike trails, lakes, parks and sport fields. Lakes-Stonebridge Ranch has 14 lakes throughout the community with sailing, paddle boating and fishing. Golf-Stonebridge Ranch offers a private country club with two golf courses. An 18-hole daily-fee public golf cours... 08/05/2009

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 woul... 08/05/2009

A great grocery store is always on the list of top ten places to find for every new buyer in a strange new town. OK, it's in the top three. Why? Immediately upon move-in you need to easily find a place that sells these necessities: toilet paper (obvious), cleaning supplies (in case the previous owners were not so tidy upon move out), microwavable kid-friendly meals (cause face it, McDonald's is getting old and you're not about to cook in a dirty kitchen) and for the hubby: cold beer (because between the moving of the heavy stuff, the drive to the new city and the wife stressing about where things will go - it is indeed a necessity). Of course you can always stop by the big discount superstores - yes, McKinney has THREE Super Walmarts - but for something more you have to check out Market... 08/03/2009

TPC Craig Ranch Times Square: Alpine Roofing Construction has completed construction on the $80 million residential and retail facility of Times Square at TPC Craig Ranch. This 800,000 square feet, five story building features 77,500 square feet of Span standing seam roof and 60,000 square feet of Firestone modified Bitumen. This is the first vertical residential construction in the 2,500 acre master planned community of Craig Ranch located in McKinney, Texas. 08/02/2009

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 ta... 07/29/2009

Tucker Hill McKinney is an unique master-planned community located in McKinney Texas off Highway US 380 and Stonebridge. Luxury lifestyle at Tucker Hill will be one of your top choices. When architecture is your priority, Tucker Hill is specific in the architectural designs of their homes. You can find the Tudor, Italian Renaissance, Spanish, French, Traditional Four Squares and Victorian architectures at Tucker Hill McKinney. Not many communities in the greater Frisco TX area have this unique architecture. Tucker Hill is built on the rolling hills of McKinney. Meandering roads and towering tress are the signatures of the community along with various designs of architectural choices built by renowned local home builders. Home buyers have a large selection of builders to select from: Dar... 07/28/2009

As a part of the Stonebridge Ranch development in McKinney Texas, Adriatica is one of its latest Croatian-themed village now offered to luxury home buyers. Adriatica is truly unique with its offering of interesting southern coastal Supetar architecture that most North Texas has not seen before. Adriatica is located at the south east corner of Virginia Parkway and Stonebridge Drive. A Little Geography Lesson: Croatia is located in the Balkans, east side of the Adriatic Sea, to the east of Italy. Croatia is bordered by Solvenia to the northwest, Hungary to the north, Bosnia Herzegovina to the southeast, Serbia to the east and Montenegro to the south. The Blackard Group is the local Frisco Texas based developer of this project. Own 1 of 74 luxury custom homes of Adriatica - the gated commu... 07/26/2009

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... 07/25/2009

Craig Ranch in McKinney Texas has been one of the sought after neighborhoods by home buyers in the greater Frisco TX real estate market. Located just minutes from SH 121 and Custer, Craig Ranch offers conveniences to shops and restaurants, access to the trolley system for residents, TPC Golf course and Cooper Fitness and Aerobics Center. Craig Ranch offers a TPC golf course - a 72-par course which is highly acclaimed by the USGA. The TPC Craig Ranch golf course offers rolling hills and matured landscaping around the course. The clubhouse offers locker rooms, a golf library, banquet space and award winning golf shop. TPC Craig Ranch offers private memberships to residents at the Villas, the Settlement and the Residences at Grand Lodge condominiums. Several smaller Craig Ranch communities... 07/25/2009

I made a run to Starbucks in McKinney this morning and low and behold it is free pastry day.  The word free blinded my rational thought and after picking out a blueberry scone I remembered that bread products do not agree with me.  After thinking through the ramifications of attempting to eat the scone I quickly turned to the lady behind me in line and handed her the bag.  She thanked me and said that her girls would love it.  I looked around a sparsely populated Starbucks and didn't see any girls but I didn't think anything about it.  After she ordered she took the scone and other purchases out to the car. Meanwhile I had been noticing a state trooper hanging out next to a van that he had parked next to.  As she went out the door I realized where the girls were.  There was quite a conf... 07/21/2009

McKinney...my home town..has had the fastest growth rate of all United States cities with an increase of 122% since the year 2000 (according to the National Census Bureau report on July 1).  I know why this great city has suddenly become so ‘GREAT' and will fill you in on a few of the reasons. McKinney is located a convenient 30 miles north of downtown Dallas.  The location is just far enough away from the hubbub of the city but close enough for easy access to professional sports, great shopping, museums and the Dallas fine arts district.  CNNMoney ranked McKinney as No. 14 in their 2008 "Best Places to Live".  American City Business Journal listed McKinney as one of the top 75 wealthiest communities.  What makes a community have such great residential growth?  A Good Economy.  McKinney... 07/14/2009

  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... 07/10/2009

MCKINNEY FARMERS MARKET - Saturday, May 30 - 8AM- NOON-Located at Chestnut Square Historic Village - 315 S. Chestnut, McKinney, Texas - S.H. 5 at Anthony Street. Fresh and organic produce, eggs, cheese and meats.  Dixie's Store will feature craft items and coffee.  For more information call 972.562.8790. FOUR.  FUNNY.  FEMALES. - Saturday, May 30- 8PM-10PM-  McKinney Performing Arts Center.  Tickets are $20 available at the MPAC box office or by calling   214-544-4630 ART WALK DOWNTOWN- Saturday, May 30- 10AM to 6PM- Located in historic downtown McKinney this should be a wonderful experience for the whole family.  Downtown McKinney will host artists representing every mix and medium of art.  Over 50 artists will showcase their art in store fronts throughout downtown.  The Art Walk is th... 05/28/2009

Congratulations!  You may want to read that again in a few weeks.  You may be like thousands of "Happy Homeowners"  or not!  I bet you got a great price and can't believe the great rate.  Congratulations again! Now it is time to consider how much of the purchase price you saved, is going to be put back into your new property.  There are many things to consider, and you need to consider all the possibilities in to be a TRUE LY, Happy Homeowner.  Sometimes the degree of "Happy" is directly connected to our sale price down the road as compared to the original purchase price.  Still your home is an investment and what you spend on that investment determines the rate of return. First consider, who is going to reside there, and for how long.  This is important because it tells us what the nex... 05/15/2009

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05/11/2009

North Texas offers unique challenges for gardeners and landscapers. We sometimes have winters that rival those of many states much farther north. We often have summers that rival those of New Mexico or Arizona. I also have struggled recently with landscaping because of the limited rainfall we have had. Just when everyone thought we were going to have to switch to desert plants we have started having very substantial rains. The good news is we have discovered a tool to help us select plants for our climate and rainfall needs. Visit www.txsmartscape.com . This interactive site will help you pick plants for annual or perennial plantings. The pictures of each plant type helps me put a name with a flower. 05/03/2009