Collin County Real Estate

Collin County tax rolls shrink with economy

2009-05-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

By ED HOUSEWRIGHT / The Dallas Morning News

High-flying Collin County has been grounded.

Property values here, which have surged throughout the decade, are now flattening or declining, according to appraisal records.

Countywide, taxable values have dropped slightly less than 1 percent, but some cities and school districts have seen larger dips. As a result, they may have to cut spending, reduce services or raise taxes. A county that once seemed immune from downturns has been jolted by the dismal national economy.

Even Frisco, which routinely posted double-digit appraisal increases, has joined its neighbors in the malaise. Its tax base in Collin County dropped from 2008, according to preliminary figures from the Collin Central Appraisal District.

Full Story

Collin County Foreclosures show decline

2009-05-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

May 20, 2009 -

By Aleshia Howe

Just in time for the start of the home buying season, new reports show residential foreclosure numbers in Collin County and surrounding areas are on the decline – but so are home sales prices.

The first quarter of 2009 showed an 11.9 decrease in the number of new foreclosures compared to the same time last year, according to the Collin County Association of Realtors. The CCAR Pulse, which studies the 36 real estate markets of 36 local communities, also showed more than 25 percent of area homes sold in the first quarter were foreclosure listings – up 19 percent from the same time last year.

In a separate report, Addison-based Foreclosure Listing Service Inc., a company that tracks foreclosure postings and auctions in 19 Texas counties, tallied a 13 percent drop in Collin County foreclosures from May 2008 to May 2009.

Full story

Collin, Denton debate future Dallas North Tollway extension

2009-03-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

March 23, 2009
By ED HOUSEWRIGHT / The Dallas Morning News

A simple line on a map could translate into billions of dollars for either Collin County or Denton County.

That line represents a proposed extension of Dallas North Tollway, and the adjacent counties are squabbling over the alignment because of the economic bonanza it could bring as homes and businesses spring up around it.

Collin and Denton county officials had agreed the 7-mile stretch should be on the counties' common border to let each share in the riches.

Read Full Story

Plano: International Festival naturalizes 75 citizens under beautiful skie

2008-10-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

October 2, 2008

By Kim Nguyen

The weather is expected to be absolutely stunning on Saturday for the Fourth Annual Plano International Festival in Downtown Plano’s Haggard Park. Showcasing the sights, sounds and tastes of more than 60 cultures, the Plano International Festival celebrates the vivid diversity that makes up the City of Plano.

The festival will begin at 11 a.m. with a Parade of Nations, where nearly 100 students from the Plano Independent School District carry flags from around the world.

Mayor Pat Evans will give opening remarks followed by a keynote speech from Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Harry LaRosiliere. State Senator Florence Shapiro will later lead the new citizens in reciting their first Pledge of Allegiance in a naturalization ceremony, welcoming and granting U.S. citizenship to 75 people.

DK

Full Story

Plano: Verizon Foundation supports Plano ISD Family Literacy Program

2008-10-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

October 1, 2008

By Kim Nguyen

The Verizon Foundation continued its ongoing support for the Plano Family Literacy Program with the recent presentation of a $10,000 grant.

This is the third year that the Verizon Foundation has presented a $10,000 grant to this program. As part of the district’s Student and Family Services Department, the Plano Family Literacy Program works with children and families to support the mission “of building healthy families by working with the entire family.”

“The grant monies pay for reading books in the classroom and book clubs and instructional reading materials,” said Jane Lilliston, Plano Family Literacy program coordinator. “It’s wonderful to have received the grant again because we see day to day how much literacy can help people’s lives.”

DK

Full Story

McKinney: County close to getting $1.5 billion for road repairs

2008-10-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

October 2, 2008

By Danny Gallagher McKinney Courier-Gazette

FUNDING: The Regional Transportation Council will fund local road dollars with SH 121 toll revenue.

Collin County will get a huge chunk of the State Highway 121 toll revenues for their own road constructions and repairs.

The Regional Transportation Council approved a measure in August approving the disbursal of more than $2.5 billion in toll road revenue to local counties collected along SH 121, according to records filed by the North Texas Council of Governments.

Approximately $1.5 billion of those funds will go towards projects in Collin County in addition to the $235.6 million the county has in transportation bonds approved in November of 2007, according to RTC and Collin County records.

DK

Full Story

Program in McKinney to focus on emerging pests, fire ant-control

2008-10-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

October 02, 2008

Mike Jackson

MCKINNEY – The Texas AgriLife Extension Service will co-host the program, “Fire Ant Control and Insect Management,” from 8 a.m. to noon on Oct. 10 in McKinney.

The program will be held at the Myers Park and Event Center, 7117 County Road 166, in McKinney.

“It will be a field day farmers, ranchers, gardeners, landscapers and pesticide applicators won’t want to miss as experts will present preliminary results of ongoing fire ant research at Myers Park,” said Greg Church, an AgriLife Extension agent for horticulture in Collin County.

Full Story

McKinney's tough smoking ordinance takes effect today 12:37 PM CT

2008-09-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

The law, passed one year ago by the McKinney City Council, prohibits smoking in most public places, including restaurants, enclosed workplaces, retail stores, stadiums, public transportation and apartment building common areas. It also limits the number of smoking rooms in hotels and motels.

full story

Individual indicted for animal cruelty for leaving dog in car

2008-08-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Planostar - August 16, 2008

Despite constant community awareness, the Plano Animal Services reported one death and cited 17 individuals for leaving their animals unattended in their vehicle this summer.

With the peak temperature this summer reaching a scorching 110 degrees, Jamey Cantrell, Plano’s Animal Services manager, said he does not understand why this problem continues to occur.

“This is something that happens more frequently than it should,” Cantrell said. “I don’t understand how people think. It is beyond me.”

Cantrell said in July alone, the one death and 10 of the 17 citations were issued.

“People will normally leave their windows cracked and think this is enough, but it’s not,” Cantrell said. “A dog cools themselves by panting. If it’s that hot and humid, they can’t cool down. Their temperature rises significantly. It’s sad people think their animal is going to be OK.”

According to reports, on July 4, a woman left her Scottish Terrier in her vehicle in direct sunlight for nearly three hours while inside the Denny’s located on U.S. 75.

When police arrived, the dog’s body registered at 115 degrees.

Full Story

Fairview a fertile site for homebuilders

2008-07-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Dallas Morning News - July 3, 2006

Fairview's motto is "Keeping it country."

But one look at a map shows why that's hard to do.

Wedged between Allen and McKinney on the east side of U.S. Highway 75, the Collin County town of 5,700 is next in line for a development boom.

Builders are already putting up new subdivisions lined with custom homes.

And starting next year work will begin on a 200-acre shopping center that's as big as some malls.

While the big city is knocking at Fairview's front door, city leaders say they want to keep the rural flavor for much of the town.

"We are trying to take advantage of the growth and protect ourselves at the same time," said Fairview City Manager John Godwin. "It looks like we are going to be able to do that."

Full Story

Collin's newcomers stretch dollars, legs

2008-07-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

The Dallas Morning News - August 13, 2005

For many, a bigger home is better, and it's cheaper here than in many places

LOS GATOS, Calif. – Nestled on a wooded hillside in this tidy Silicon Valley community is a subdivision of newer tract homes with media rooms, breakfast nooks, granite countertops and other modern touches.

Like models on a Monopoly board, big new homes line the streets in the Twin Creeks subdivision in Allen. The homes are not unlike those you'd see in a similar high-income neighborhood in Allen, McKinney or Frisco – until you compare the price tags.

A $300,000 home in or near Collin County would cost about $1 million in Los Gatos.

When families move to North Texas from places like Silicon Valley, they are awestruck by the monster houses they can afford. They don't tend to hold back, said Jan Richey, a Realtor with Keller Williams in Frisco.

"Instead of buying the $300,000 house – which they should – they have so much more money from the equity in their previous house that they extend themselves as far as they can go," she said. "We have to protect them from themselves."

Full Story

DFW won't see big home price declines

2008-04-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

Report: Dallas-Fort Worth won't see big home price declines 11:08 PM CDT on Thursday, April 10, 2008 By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News stevebrown@dallasnews.com

While North Texas' housing market decline has accelerated in recent months, analysts are still betting that the Dallas-Fort Worth area won't see measurable price declines. Indeed, the latest report from mortgage insurance firm PMI Group says that D-FW is one of the last places in the country likely to see a drop in home prices during the next couple of years. There's less than a 1 percent chance that home prices will fall here, according to PMI's spring risk index report, which was released Thursday. At the same time, PMI says that 13 of the nation's top housing markets have more than a 60 percent likelihood of home price declines. Full Story

Gateway Apartments Provide Solace for 130 Former Homeless

2008-03-18T23:36:00.000-07:00

The new, two-story apartments at 723 N. McDonald St. will be different than any other apartment complex in McKinney, and possibly the country as they will serve as a private residence for people who were previously homeless.

Full Story

For new homebuilders in Collin County, go to McKinney Real Estate Services.

Collin County County Opens Transitional Housing

2008-03-17T01:20:00.000-07:00

Aaron Whitaker and his teenage daughter had only $36 and a few gallons of gas last year when they checked into a bunk-bed room at the Samaritan Inn, Collin County's only homeless shelter.

Full Story

Checkout these Fairview Homes and Farmersville Homes with our list of Collin County homes for sale.

Earthen Dam Repair Urged Across North Texas

2008-03-13T03:30:00.000-07:00

A publicly funded repair has erased 11 years of slumps and slides and returned the 39-foot-high earthen mound to its original state at a private lake in northwest Collin County.

The almost $578,000 project has stabilized the dam and assuaged the Wilsons, who long have called it a safety threat and an eyesore – and who joined neighbors in suing Collin County to restore or remove the structure.

But the one-time fix leaves unsettled the multimillion-dollar question of who will pay for future repairs and improvements to the dam near Celina and to hundreds of others aging across Texas.

The federal government has built almost 2,000 of the dams in Texas (about 11,000 nationwide) in the past 50-plus years to help control flooding and reduce soil erosion. Dallas and its six surrounding counties have 316 of them, including 99 in Collin County and 85 in Ellis County.

Full Story

New Runway for the Regional Collin County Airport may be Longer

2008-03-10T03:57:00.000-07:00

The replacement runway to be built at Collin County Regional Airport could be longer than the proposed 7,000 feet if some members of the McKinney Airport Development Corp. board have their way.

Full Story

For up-to-date information about Collin County communities and homes for sale, visit Collin County Real Estate.

Collin County News Sources

2008-02-27T03:06:00.000-08:00

Anna-Melissa Tribune
Allen American, The - Allen - Dallas-Fort Worth community newspaper.
Inside Collin County Business - Plano - Online journal.
McKinney Courier-Gazette - McKinney - Daily newspaper serving Collin County since 1897.
McKinney Messenger - McKinney
Plano Star Courier - Plano - Local news for Plano, TX.
Carrollton Leader - Star Community Newspaper
Celina Record - Star Community Newspaper
The Farmsville Times - Serving Farmsville and East Collin County since 1885
Frisco Enterprise - Star Community News Paper
Collin County Commercial Record
The Princeton Herald - The official newspaper of Princeton
KDAF - CW 33
KDFW - FOX 4
KTVT - CBS 11
KUVN - UNI 23
KXAS - NBC 5
KXTX - TM 39

Former Allen Firefighter Accused of Attempted Prison Escape

2007-11-06T22:15:00.000-08:00

Raymond Wingfield, 36, was found guilty by an Anderson County jury of two counts of aggravated assault on a public servant, one count of aggravated assault, and attempted escape. Mr. Wingfield, who claimed he was forced to participate in the escape attempt by another inmate, was sentenced Friday to two 40-year and two 25-year prison terms, to be served concurrently.

(Dallas News, Nov. 6, 2007) Full Story

Collin County Real Estate - Desoto Homes

2007-10-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

1723 WINDMILL HILL LN
DESOTO, TX 75115

Stunning! This home will take your breath away! From a grand entry to the tranquil back yard, you will fall in love with this gorgeous home. Immaculately maintained, beautiful & numerous upgrades! Superb floorplanning, ext millwork, see through fp's, granite counters, custom cabinets, hard wood floors, tavertine, iron balusters, berber carpets, custom paint, faux finishes, the list goes on! Don't miss this one! 5th bedroom currently used as study-office.

5 Bedrooms

3 Full 1 Partial Bathrooms

3,950 Est. Sq. Ft.

Listing # 10852422

$799,900

For More Information about this Listing.
Visit our site: McKinney Homes & Collin County Real Estate

The Joys of Allen, Texas

2007-05-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Allen Texas is located in Collin County north of Plano off I-75. Allen was one of the first far-north cities heavily developed off 121 in the early 1990s. Today it is an established bustling city that continues to grow, thanks to its location, which allows for easy commutes to Plano, Richardson, Dallas or anywhere off I-75 in DFW.

As part of the Collin County community, Allen offers a myriad facilities and attractions for your family. Allen has an established school district for your kids and is home to a thriving campus of the Collin County Community college. One of the most appealing features of the city, though, is its extensive sports activities and facilities for both youth and adults. You can join groups and clubs and become part of Allen's welcoming neighborhood.

Collin County School Districts

2007-02-11T20:17:00.000-08:00

Allen ISD
Anna ISD
Bland ISD
Blue Ridge Schools
Celeste ISD
Celina ISD
Community ISD
Farmersville ISD
Frisco ISD
Gunter ISD
Leonard ISD
Lovejoy ISD
McKinney ISD
Melissa ISD
Plano ISD
Princeton ISD
Prosper ISD

Brookhollow home development to contain 2,500 lots

2007-01-25T00:25:00.000-08:00

(Prosper) - Developers have tied up enough land in the town of Prosper for a 1,300-acre residential project. Landplan Development Corp. of Frisco unveiled that the development on U.S. Highway 380 east of Preston Road, called Brookhollow, will have lots for 2,500 homes. Developers purchased 760 acres for the project on the north side of U.S. 380 and have more than 500 under contract. The development is near the Stonebridge Ranch community in McKinney. Construction is scheduled to begin on the Brookhollow project in 2007.

Dallas developer lands eastern Frisco land

2007-01-25T00:21:00.000-08:00

(Frisco) - Hanover Property Co. is continuing its aggressive North Texas expansion, snapping up 325 prime acres in for an 825-home residential development. The deal involved the assemblage of three adjacent tracts that are north of Panther Creek Parkway and south of Rock Hill Road in Frisco. Hanover targets middle-market, second-time homebuyers, generally looking to pay $200,000 and up for a new home. Hanover will be talking to homebuilders over the next two to four weeks to gauge their interest in the new Frisco development, dubbed Miramonte. Until it picks builders, it's hard to put a price tag on the neighborhood. It's the second big project the company is tackling this year. Three months ago, Hanover acquired 920 acres off F.M. 548 in Forney for a 2,700-home residential community called Devonshire. Seven homebuilders are already on board. Lot development of the first 600-home phase will begin in November, with lots ready in late 2007 and homes ready for occupancy in 2008. "That area of east Frisco, pushing into McKinney, is showing excellent results, producing 1,400 home starts a year," Ted Wilson with Residential Strategies Inc. said. "It also has an extremely tight lot supply, at 18 months, when equilibrium is 24 months. The prices are slightly less than what you see in west Frisco, but still high."

Collin County land prices holding their own

2007-01-24T23:05:00.000-08:00

"As prices have inflated, the real estate market ballooned up and now air is coming out of the bubble. Collin County did not blow up," said Betty Magee of Magee & Associates, Realtors. The median price of an existing, single-family home in California for November of 2006 was $555,290, a 1.4 percent increase over the revised $547,870 median for 2005 as reported by the California Association of Realtors. In New York the numbers are less severe. The November 2006 statewide median sales price of $250,000 represented a 5.7 percent decline from the November 2005 median of $265,000. The November 2006 median did increase by 3.5 percent compared to the October 2006 median of $234,000. As for Collin County, the median price for November 2006 was $193,700, $361,590 less than California. According to the Real Estate Center, single-family homes sales for December of 2006 in Collin County were at 6,333, a 5 percent decrease from the following year. The 5 percent decrease can be seen as a positive compared to November homes sales that were down 7 percent from the previous year. While home sales are down, the December average price per home was up 2 percent from the previous year, indicating that there is a slight appreciation. The Dallas Morning News reported a 5 percent decrease in housing sales last week.

[Inside Collin County Business]