It's that time again! I don't know about you, but when I set out to find something specific at a garage sale, I find things that I just can't live without! Saturday, October 16 at Castlewood in Highland Village is the semi-annual community garage sale. Participating families are encouraged to place balloons out on their mailbox. Sale starts at 8 am. Rise and shine everyone!!
By R. Bruce Lynn, Broker Associate and Your Realtor
(Keller Williams Realty-DFW Preferred)
If you are thinking about leasing or renting a home in the Highland Village, TX area, you’ve come to the right place. Here you can search for all homes currently available for lease. We lease and rent homes anywhere in the DFW Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex area, please give Bruce a call at 214-675-6992 or drop me an email at rb@teamlynn.com if you don’t see what you need here. We can walk you through the entire process step by step. You always want an experienced realtor to help you with these transactions. This service is typically FREE for tenants, as it is normal for the landlords to pay our fees. We’ll save you lots and lots of time versus calling each number and setting up individual appointments at each home. We can show you homes listed by any real estate company. Here are the best...
Being self-employed, it's always easy to panic when the phone stops ringing. What I have learned to do during the "slower" times is to enjoy it! All too many times, I am on the phone with another agent or a client and one of my kids is pulling on my pant leg because they want a snack. As you know, we can go from feast to famine in the matter of one day so to stay grounded, less stressed and have the ability to enjoy the little things in life, I have learned to enjoy when my phone isn't ringing. Next week...that will be a different story :)
A few days ago, I talked about a personal experience I had to be able to promote my business instead of talking down my competition. There have been several blog posts recently that highlight if real estate agents have to be enemies. It turns out many people will do whatever it takes to get ahead of the competition. We recently had a competitor mail out a postcard (which goes to our farm) with a nice little interview with a family who recently utilized the services of the agents who sent the mailer. They have a testimonial that specifically uses our marketing strategy, including our motto, and said that "They never even looked at our home and were in a hurry". I spoke with my boss and he said we have never been contacted by this family. Is it possible it was a different team? Nope....
For the past five years, I have endured breaking finger nails because of those darn socket covers and cabinet door hinges. I have demonstrated to my kids how to properly go up and down stairs on rear ends and backwards. Now that my kindergartener is old enough to have fun at a friend's house, it really didn't occur to me to find out if there are any dangers that I should be aware of. I can't remember where I heard it or what the reason was, but it has got me thinking again. Some of those things the story or report encouraged parents to do was to: 1. Ask if the house has guns in it. We do not so there is no knowledge of how dangerous guns are and what kind of healthy respect we should have for them. If there are guns, are they locked up and is the key hidden? 2. What about danger...
After five years in real estate, I couldn't imagine going back to work for someone else. It's a day like I had yesterday that reminds me of that. I love Wednesdays because that is the day my son goes to the grandparents and I get a day to myself...until 3 pm. That's when my five year old gets off the kindergarten school bus and we get a little "girl time". It's great to be able to do my work before she gets home and then it's play time! Side note...my parents just closed on a house close to us and decided to have a car shipped here to get a break on the insurance. We now have the little Lexus convertible for the next three months. We "have to" drive it once a week to keep from draining the battery. Trinity asked if we could take the convertible. Good idea I thought despite the ...
Growing up, my family TV was an enormous Zenith with a remote we called a clicker because it actually clicked. It had three buttons, one for up, one for down and the yellow one was the on/off switch. I love those lists that come across my email every so often that reminds me of how "simple" our lives used to be. "You know your a child of the 80s if..." or "If you were born in the 90s, you don't know about..." My five-year-old has a very hard time understanding what film in a camera is. I have explained the process of taking it to a store to have it developed. Huh? My daughter will never know life without Video On Demand or text messages. I recently read Diane William's blog post about our reliance on the Internet. It got me thinking about a debate that I heard about whether o...
Brilliant Sky Toys and Books is a fun and innovative specialty toy store in Highland Village, TX. The store is filled with bright colors, kid-friendly displays and unique toys. They have events the whole family will enjoy throughout the year. Stop by and pick up some classic toys, things with four wheels, or characters that make your collection!
Labor Day marks the six year anniversary moving into our custom home in Highland Village, TX. It was the process of selling our home and building our current one that inspired me to follow a career in real estate. It was a whirlwind decision but one we knew was right. We have fantastic neighbors, wonderful community amenities and great schools to boot. One of the things that buyers overlook when building a home is the value of a real estate agent. Even though we had a real estate agent she pretty much stayed out of anything after our contract was written. Six years later, we still have building defects and issues that were problems from day one. Most are minor but there are several significant problems. Our builder was open to repairing huge cracks in our walls and drainage probl...
It's the day Highland Village residents have dreaded waited for for years. I received the following email today from Jo Lynn Tefft, the Castlewood Community Manager. TXDOT has opened part of FM2499 from Orchard Hill south. The Castlewood back entrance/exit (Castlewood Blvd/Northwood & FM2499) is open. Please be aware that this is a two-way stop; the cross traffic on FM2499 does not stop. At our main entrance (Castlewood Blvd/Highland Shores Blvd & FM2499) there is currently a four-way stop. However, several times today, vehicles did not stop going southbound on FM2499 through the intersection. Please use caution at both intersections. We have enjoyed many family walks on the deserted bridge but I guess that is coming to an end. Drive safe everyone!
If you live in Castlewood like I do, we aren't in any shortage for orange cones and large construction trucks. The other day, I noticed the ground getting torn up on the west side of Castlewood Blvd so I stopped and asked if the crews were laying the foundation for the new signal that was approved. The kind sir said that no, it was for the sidewalks! I had no idea sidewalks were going in on that side of the street. That will be a great addition to this neighborhood!
This Thursday at 4:30 pm at Heritage Elementary in Highland Village is "Meet The Teacher" night. Be sure to arrive early as the parking lot fills up FAST!
Today we celebrated my son's first birthday at the Castlewood Community Pool and I came across something unexpected. My father-in-law asked after the party "So, who were all of those people today? A bunch of your clients?" I chuckled and said "No, they are friends from different places...wait, actually, yes, most of them are!" I realized. I started going down the list of my friends at the birthday party and realized that many of them were clients first and then the friendships emerged. Of the six women there with their beautiful children, three of them have bought houses using me and two of them have referred me to their friends. And now here we are, going through life's journey together. I can't think of better friends and clients to celebrate with. You never know what kind of ...
For only a $5 parking fee, you can enjoy the 23rd Annual Highland Village Lions Club Balloon Festival and Fair. Bring your friends and family August 20-22 to Copperas Branch Park for a fun time at this Highland Village tradition. Hot air balloons, live bands, fair rides, Navy flight simulator, hamster balls (I'm all over that!), food court, car bash, Boogie Woogie Choo Choo (my daughter's fav!), raffle prizes and more. This is a great event that highlights the fine businesses and local talent around the North Texas area. Be sure to mark your calendar and enjoy the last hoorah before school starts!
Before you push your kid out the door onto the school bus and then say a collective "Amen" that the whole neighborhood can hear, stop on by the Castlewood community Back to School Party! Mark your calendars for Friday, August 20 from 6:30-9 pm at the clubhouse. Fun for all to be had with bounce houses, snow cones, hot dogs and swimming. This is always a great opportunity to see old friends and meet new ones to make the first day of school a little easier. For more information or to volunteer, email Kimberley at kimberleylyons@tx.rr.com
In reading Kathryn Maguire's post about "Wallpaper Woes" it got me thinking about styles and trends. What I have noticed is that it seems like homes can stand to be cosmetically updated about every 10 years. Think back to the year 2000. Gold or brass shower frames and door knobs were still popular although were on the way out (thankfully!) Silver or pewter was on the rise but a few years later, oil rubbed bronze was definitely the way to go. No one used formica but Corian was a pretty popular choice. They were solid surface after all! So, here we are...2010. What is it going to be in another five or six years that makes buyers say "This house was totally built in 2008! Look at those distressed cabinets! And granite? Who the heck puts granite in anymore?" What do you think?
It isn't the first time that Highland Village has ranked at the top of D Magazine's annual "Best Suburbs" list. Out of 62 towns, Highland Village ranked No 2 only topped by Parker. I can't speak for Parker (it's on the opposite side of the metroplex) but Highland Village is a great place to live! For a town of just over 15,000 residents, more than 50% of households include children under the age of 18. Maybe that's what attracts me? A great place to raise a family. Other great reasons to live in Highland Village: Set on the southern shores of Lake Lewisville, VERY low crime rate, exemplary schools, rollings hills and the Inland Trail System. This town definitely offers a home town feel, especially when the officers stop by to let me know that I left my garage door open. OK, that really ...
For those of you who have been alive and breathing in the Highland Village area, you're fully aware of all the construction going on along FM 2499. One of the big debates was would there be a traffic signal at the intersection of FM 2499 and Castlewood/Highland Shores Blvd. That will now be closer to reality. According to the latest edition of The Villager, the City of Highland Village has approved the funding and agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for the construction of the traffic signal at this busy intersection. Once the signal is in place, the road between 2499 and Orchid Hill and Castlewood Blvd/Highland Shores Blvd. will be open.
If you're like me, Harlington Road in Highland Village between 2499 and Chinn Chapel is a great cut through, especially during high traffic times. Well, find another way! The City of Highland Village posted that the road will be closed for several months to allow three large culvert coxes to be placed from the southern border of Copper Canyon with Flower Mound all the way to Harlington. I am sure the residents of Chapel Springs will be happy for a few months!
