Last night I had the opportunity to try out a new restaurant in Plano.  Ephesus, located at 3645 Dallas Parkway, #555 (at the Tollway and Parker Road) offers authentic Turkish cuisine, wonderful service, a nice atmosphere and very reasonable prices. I had never been to a Turkish restaurant before and the experience left me wanting more.  The food is very tasty and flavorful.  The menu items are similar to (but not identically flavored) items you might find at other Middle Eastern or Mediterranean restaurants, but the flavors here were unique and refreshing.   My friend and I started out with several appetizers.  The Hummus, Tabouli and Ezme were all fresh and full of flavor.  I had previously had Hummus and Tabouli, but the Ezme was a new experience for me.  Ezme is described on the Eph... 08/02/2008

The Journey of Hope Grief Support Center celebrated its 10 year anniversary on June 22nd. Journey of Hope was founded by a group of local school counselors and others who felt the need to provide a place of support for children and families who experienced the death of a loved one. The center has grown from serving Plano to all of Collin County with groups meeting at different locations meeting the different needs of those in times of loss. If you or someone you care about would like to find out more about the support at the Journey of Hope call 972-964-1600 or visit www.johgriefsupport.org As part of the 10 year celebration there is a fundraiser you can support with just $1 called "One in a Million"! Please visit Journey of Hope and read the story by Mark Hundley, one of the founding m... 08/01/2008

For Want of Disclosure: A nice young couple, who were expecting, along with their young son, moved into a nice new(er) home in the palisades area of California. Apparently, the prior owner, who also is a well known movie starlet, failed to disclose a tiny problem. Folks, this is gross. The young family's new neighbor, twin sisters no less, appear to have befriended a horde of rats. The owner of a local rodent control company has actually witnessed the sisters observing the rats eat the dog food and milk that they had just set out for their little friends. So, how would you handle this issue?   http://www.laweekly.com/news/features/palisades-rathouse-unchallenged-by-health-officials-elderly-twins-fed-local-vermin-population/19342/ 07/31/2008

Selling a house in a difficult location? Have you considered other ways to market the property besides reducing the price? While we cannot change the location of a property we can improve the appeal to buyers if the property is indeed in good condition. There are always buyers looking in certain locations & neighborhoods (obviously this seller/possibly you purchased the property) and the area your property is located and listed will be one of them. If however there are more problems with the property than the location, for example; perhaps it is very dated outside/inside it lacks good curb appeal furnishings and decor reflect too personal of a choice the property needs upgrades compared to the comps in the neighborhood the house has foundation or roof issues or other major areas of conc... 07/24/2008

A survey by pay experts at Salary.com evaluated 69 cities with more than 250,000 people and ranked Plano first in American cities in which to build personal wealth.  Despite the fear of recession and poor economic performance throughout the country, the residences of Plano and surrounding suburbs are still fortunate to still have a healthy work environment and the ability to get ahead. For the full story, goto the Plano Star Courier  My cell phone number is 469-644-4602 and our Dallas Real Estate website is at www.tres4u.com.  Thanks!  Denise Toliver 07/21/2008

Plano has just been ranked #1 in the 2008 Salary Value Index provided by Salary.com.  It was compiled of 69 cities with a population of more than 250,000 people, and ranked the cities on building personal wealth and raising a family.  You can find the article here http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2008/06/30/daily14.html?ana=from_rss on the Dallas Business Journal website. Plano is one of the top cities in the D/FW area, and now it's getting recognized on a national level.  Plano's strong school system and high saturation of company headquarters makes it the perfect place to buy a home and raise a family.  Job opportunities are endless with the amount of company headquarters, and allows people to build wealth with large companies.  I feel that this is great for the economy of Pl... 07/21/2008

Brand New Gated Community just starting building it's first spec home, Cantera.  Cantera is in North East Richardson TX where I refer to it as the "Red-Headed Step Child of Richardson."  I call this area that because it's the city of Richardson, but it's Collin County and Plano Schools, so we sometimes get overlooked (I live about a mile from this new community). There are 49 homesites, and the lots themselves are selling for what my house costs!  The finished products will range from $700,000 to upwards of $3M!!  They have already sold 10 lots so they're well on their way. 5 Builders plus the Developer are building in this small community, so we're sure to get a wide variety of elevations so they don't all look the same.  Lot sizes are all over the board from 75 X 150 to something like... 07/21/2008

Want to freshen the look of a dated or worn window treatment in your kitchen? It's really simple! Purchase color coordinated cotton napkins that work with the colors of your kitchen.I found the ones in the photo at Pier 1 on sale for around $1.28 each.  Remove old window treatment Fold napkins on a diagonal over the tension rod.  For this window only 3 napkins were necessary. They instantly updated the look of the window for a fraction of the cost of window treatments. Old window treatment (over the sink)    Window treatment after Window treatment after (another angle) For added color & coordination use additional napkins in the same pattern/color to accent other parts of the kitchen.                        I not only live in Collin County, TX I also work to serve those of you who do as... 07/17/2008

This summer we've been doing some improvements on our own house.  It had been about 6 years since we did the last major improvements and we were ready to tackle a few more. As a professional home stager I understand the value of improving ones home before even thinking about selling. Far too often I see sellers who wished they'd done for themselves what they've improved for others when in the process of selling.  For the other home improvements we've done this summer you can read the blog: Sellers, I feel your pain. Well we needed to paint our front door, desperately! It was the original "stain" from 14 years prior when the house was built. It was in pretty decent shape when we bought the house almost 7 years ago but 7 more years had taken it's toll.  Unfortunately I do not have a good ... 07/17/2008

Lately we've been hearing a LOT about speculators in regard to the high price of oil. What exactly does a speculator do when he speculates? Speculators provide a very, very important function within our economy. They assume risk in the hope of making a profit. One very simple (overly simplistic) example is a farmer who grows corn. The farmer, not knowing what his income will be several months in the future, has to plow the fields, plant the corn, maintain the immature plants, and hope that a hail storm does not come along, thereby destroying all his work. Until the harvest season, the farmer faces one BIG risk, what price will he receive for his corn. This is where a speculator can come in and assume the farmers risk. The speculator will agree to purchase, at a price agreed upon today, ... 07/11/2008

According to a CNBC study, Texas is the number one state in which to do business. The study compared the different states by reviewing variables like the cost of doing business, the state's workforce, education, technology & innovation. While there are many indicators one can look to, one cannot deny economic opportunity (be it an entrepreneurial that you start or a job that you obtain) as being one of the major factors affecting quality of life. The more successful businesses we have here in Texas, the better off we all will be. Don't be fooled into this idea that it's BIG Business vs. The Little Guy. 07/11/2008

Noted investor and philanthropist John Templeton died yesterday (07-08-08). Today the Wall Street Journal ran an article about Mr. Templeton, his life, his business successes, and his giving. The title of the article was, "Maximum Optimist." This got me to thinking. Regardless of what life is throwing at us, we should strive for an optimist view of the world around us, our business, and our personal or family life, in short our future. We should not let those negative things in life, of which there may be many, dissuade us from achieving our goals. 07/09/2008

When it comes to business expenses, keep good records. Too many times people are disorganized and irregular in their recording keeping. These bad habits can come back to haunt and cost you. If you are new at running your own business, seek advice from a good CPA. Spend a few hundred dollars and a little time to setup solid a bookkeeping system. For many of us, the time required to keep good records will be just a few minutes on a daily or weekly basis. As we all know, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound (and much frustration) of cure.     07/09/2008

  Real estate professional? Selling a home? Or just interested in learning more about Home Staging? Check out the schedule of Continuing Education courses offerings at Collin College     Home Staging is a course that is;   "Designed for the home owner or the professional real estate agent to prepare a home for resale. Learn the benefits of home staging and how staging a property for resale can help you achieve a faster sales time and top dollar". Collin County Professional Home Stager, Karen Otto shares her expertise and knowledge of Home Staging bringing it to home sellers, Realtors and Investors who want to know how Home Staging can help them achieve a faster sales time and top dollar. Check out the list of Continuing Education course offerings for more information and registration. I... 07/06/2008

Here is your last chance to become a member of the Junior League of Plano(JLP) for 2008. You are invited to a potential member meeting on July 17, at 7 p.m. at the League Office in Plano at 5805 Coit Rd. in Plano. I have enjoyed my involvement over the last 4 years and I encourage other women that are interested to attend this informational session.  If you read my blogs, you know I am always promoting our events. JLP membership currently has more than 900 women from cities in Collin County, including Plano, Allen, Frisco and McKinney who are committed to improving family life in Collin County. The Junior League of Plano members have raised more than $2.5 million, implemented more than 200 community service projects and worked more than 100,000 volunteer hours in Collin County since the... 07/06/2008

Let me first say, we are not moving. At least not this month.  But we are re carpeting our 2nd floor and replacing our white wooden stair balusters for our enjoyment as well as the future return on investment. Why did we really want to do this? Heck, we want to enjoy the upgrades now while we live in it! As a professional home stager, I have seen far too many sellers upgrade to sell and wish they'd done it years ago for their own use once they see how great it looks. But sellers, I feel your pain! When it's highly recommended to replace your carpet by a professional home stager or your Realtor (or just know you need to do it) and say "I'll just give the buyers a carpet allowance", I understand why. It is quite a job to replace carpet while living in a home. I know, I've done it. But it'... 07/05/2008

Ebby Halliday Realtors- Carmen Roberts, Paulette Greene & Lynn Slaney Silguero are proud to represent & listing agents for Peckham Custom Builders. Build your new home on on of their 10 Estate lots in Plano ISD. Many have lake & greenbelt views! Peckham Custom Builders offers 16 Villa lots in this new gated subdivision. Residents will enjoy Normandy's community center & pool, natural & hilly trails, scenic creek & lake views! Thursday, myself, Carmen Roberts, Mike Peckham and a potential buyer were standing in the new subdivision and could not believe this beautiful land existed in this great location. Our buyer commented- "I don't have to search for new homes north of Hwy 121 or 380"! Normandy Estates is only minutes to the Shops of Legacy, Presbyterian Hospital and Legacy Corporate r... 07/04/2008

Salary.com has ranked Plano, TX as the #1 city in the United States to build personal wealth.  As a resident and Realtor in Plano, I can wholeheartedly agree with this ranking.  Salary.com looked at the following factors:  "Local salaries, cost of living, and unemployment relative to the national average.  This year's list also factored in qualitative measures including diversity of industry, education level of the cities' population, proximity to post secondary institutions, percent of population below poverty level, and median travel time to work." Plano has a highly educated work force - 60% of residents have a college degree or higher and 97.3% of our population has a high school degree.  We have headquarters or regional office for many Fortune 500 companies including:  EDS, JCPenne... 07/01/2008

That's according to the "2008 Salary Value Index" survey by Salary.com. Because of our diverse and stable economy, the N. Dallas area continues to attract business. A number of major companies are now located here in the N. Dallas area specifically and Texas in general (thought I have not actually counted just how many, I have read that Texas now has more Fortune 500 companies than any other state.) Business friendly policies mean more successful, and profitable, companies. More successful and profitable companies are able to expand, or invest in, their operations, explore new ventures, and hire new employees. See a trend? 07/01/2008

As I'm sure you're all away, Friday is the 4th of July. Take some time to enjoy yourself, and your family. Be safe! Some Independence Day firework events here in the N. Dallas area: Sachse - Hudsone Middle School McKinney - Mckinney Soccer Complex Frisco - Pizza Hut Park at Addison - Addison Circle Park Events generally start about 9:30 PM. 07/01/2008