Collin County Real Estate Info.
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July 2008
� Jul. 31, 2008 - Looking to Cool Off? (2 of 3)
The second of three cool places to be this summer is below. Be sure you check out the other two in related articles.
Number two: Ford Pool at Ford Park. This is your traditional "City pool" with specials on Friday Family Nights (Fridays from 6-8pm kids 17 and under get in FREE with their parent or legal guardian). You also get in free with a Don Rodenbaugh Nautatoriam or Ford Pool Pass (but since you paid for the passes, it's not really free, just even more affordable for those who visit such facilities often). Ford Pool is also available to rent for parties most Saturday and Sunday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. during June, July and August. The pool is available to rent for ALLEN RESIDENTS ONLY and must be reserved at least one week in advance. Cost: $1.75 (if you can't take advantage of the free admission mentioned above).
More info. here: http://www.cityofallen.org/departments/parks_recreation/recreation/ford_pool.htm
Ryan Cave, The "Caveman"
Truth, Honor & Personal Integrity
214-789-9366
www.CaveRealty.com |
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� Jul. 29, 2008 - Breaking News: Bennigan's and Steak & Ale restaurants to close!
I just heard the news: Bennigan's and Steak & Ale have closed their doors (possibly for good)! I quickly called our local Bennigan's and... yikes... no answer! My heart goes out to those who lost their jobs... and to Monte Cristo lovers everywhere. I often joked that they should offer a "free angioplasty" with every 10 purchased. Now, I'll no longer be able to enjoy their version of the incredibly great-tasting, though unbelievably unhealthy, fried sandwich of ham and cheese. Read all about the closures as I did here:
Bennigan's, Steak &Ale Close Doors, File for Bankruptcy Protection
By JEFFREY MCCRACKEN and JANET ADAMY
July 29, 2008 12:15 p.m.
Long-time, national restaurant chains Bennigan's and Steak & Ale have closed their doors and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection, shuttering more than 300 sites and letting go of thousand of employees.
It is one of the country's largest restaurant bankruptcies and eliminates two sit-down chains that have been part of the casual dining landscape for decades. The chains will liquidate and are not likely to re-open.
Late Monday, managers at Bennigan's and Steak & Ale were told not to open restaurants the next day, according to two people familiar with the matter. Employees were told there would not be enough money to pay them for the rest of the week, these people said.
Leah Templeton, a spokeswoman for the company, said in an email that the companies that filed bankruptcy cases are popularly known as Steak & Ale, Bennigan's and Tavern restaurants. She said that not all stores using these trade names have filed bankruptcy, and that stores operated by franchisees are not named as debtors in these filings. She said the filing does not include the company's Ponderosa and Bonanza restaurants, which operate under Metromedia Steakhouses Company, L.P.
The pub-themed Bennigan's had 310 restaurants in 32 states. It was founded in 1976. It is heavily concentrated in states like Texas, Illinois and Michigan. It posted U.S. sales of $542 million in 2007, according to Technomic Inc., a food-industry research and consulting firm.
The restaurant chains are owned and managed by Plano-based Metromedia Restaurant Group, a unit of billionaire John Kluge's Metromedia empire.
Metromedia also manages Bonanza, Ponderosa and 29 Degrees and Southlake Tavern. The latter two also are closing. 29 Degrees opened in March 2007.
Metromedia Restaurant Group earlier this year violated several terms of a lending agreement with GE Capital Solutions. It had been in negotiations with lenders for months to stave off the filing, while closing some stores and looking for a buyer, said two people involved in the matter.
The filing is the most extreme sign yet of how mid-priced sit-down restaurants are undergoing one of their worst periods in decades. High ingredient and labor costs are eating into profits, and several years of rapid expansion by bar and grill chains has left a glut of locations in the market. Pressures on consumer spending like high gasoline prices and dwindling home values have prompted consumers to eat out less often or switch to cheaper fast-food meals.
Earlier this year, the parent companies of the Bakers Square, Village Inn and Old Country Buffet filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing falling sales and rising food costs. A host of other chains -- from Outback Steakhouse to Ruby Tuesday -- are also struggling.
Metromedia has about 750 company and franchised restaurant sites in more than 40 states and outside the U.S., according to its Web site. Its annual U.S. sales are estimated at $1 billion.
Mr. Kluge, a 93-year-old German immigrant with an estimated worth of $9.5 billion, originally bought Bonanza and Ponderosa in the 1980s, later adding the Bennigan's Grill & Tavern and Steak and Ale chains into one umbrella company. Mr. Kluge is chairman, CEO and president of holding company Metromedia Co.
Metromedia's steak houses -- Ponderosa, Bonanza and Steak and Ale -- are concentrated in states including Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. It posted 2007 U.S. sales of $388 million from 370 sites.
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While one friend attributed this to a bad economy (higher food costs, fewer people eating out, etc.), another said this wouldn't affect the chains quickly, that the chains had been getting away from their roots for years (Bennigan's is hardly serving just pub food anymore). So, is this due to a sagging economy, or mismanagement that has been running the company into the ground for years? Post your comments below...
Ryan Cave, The "Caveman"
Truth, Honor & Personal Integrity
214-789-9366
www.CaveRealty.com |
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� Jul. 27, 2008 - Looking to Cool Off? (1 of 3)
If you're looking to cool off this summer, Allen, TX offers thee wonderful options that are innexpensive (or free) and not far from home. Here's the first of three cool places to be this summer:
First up: The "Spray ground" at Celebration Park (701 Angel Parkway) opens annually in May and operates from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. except Wednesdays. The sprayground is closed for weekly maintenance every Wednesday. This is a great place for kids to enjoy cooling off while running around and playing. It's right next to a regular (I use the term losely, it's a very neat and large) playground. Many kids like alternating between the playground and the sprayground; running and climbing all over the playground equipment can be hot and tiring... so they enjoy running right next door to the sprayground and cooling off. Parents often bring a blanket or towel and sit in the grass nearby to watch their kids (though many also get wet and keep cool). Cost: $0.00 (that's right, it's free).
More info. here: http://www.cityofallen.org/departments/parks_recreation/parks/celebration_rules_and_hours.html
Ryan Cave, The "Caveman"
Truth, Honor & Personal Integrity
214-789-9366
www.CaveRealty.com |
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� Jul. 21, 2008 - Are Texas Suburbs the Best Places to Live?
I found a recent article in Money magazine very interesting as it ranked the 100 "Best places to live" for 2008. The list of the "Best" small U.S. cities was compiled based on those with the best blend of desirable characteristics like good jobs, low crime, quality schools, lots of green space, reasonable home prices, local attractions, with populations between 50,000 and 300,000. What was so interesting was the stream of Texas cities I saw (many of which were here in my main sales area). While there were also several cities (nine to be exact) listed for both New Jersey and Minnesota, Texas ranked number one in terms of the total number of "Best places to live" with 13 cities on the list! Many of these cities will be recognizable to DFW residents, so here are the first few for Texas with their national "Best places to live" rank (out of the top 100):
- McKinney, TX - 14th
- Carrollton, TX - 15th
- Richardson, TX - 18th
- Allen, TX - 20th
- Euless, TX - 34th
- Frisco, TX - 38th
To see the whole list of "Best places to live" for 2008, go here: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/top100/
I mean, I knew Texas was full of great places to live... it's just nice to see others recognize it as well. :-)
Ryan Cave, The "Caveman"
Truth, Honor & Personal Integrity
214-789-9366
www.CaveRealty.com |
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� Jul. 17, 2008 - Tentative Timeline (and Hockey Team?) for Events Center
In case you've been wondering, the developers and partners of the new Allen Arena (A.K.A. Events Center) are planning to celebrate its ground breaking in just a few days, on July 24th. The entire timeline for its construction is still tentative at this point, but thought to look like this:
- Ground Breaking - July 24, 2008
- Sales Expo - September 17-19, 2008
- Central Hockey League Franchise Announcement (?) - November 1, 2008
- Temporary Office Opens - December 2008
- Second Anchor Tenant Announcement (?) - February 2009
- Sales Expo - Spring 2009
- Topping Off - April 23, 2009
- Grand Opening - October 15, 2009
I can't be certain, but since the timeline is tentative anyway, I'm guessing that the (?) items are VERY tentative and/or might not happen at all. However, press releases indicate that we should be getting a minor league hockey team:
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS108841+05-Jun-2008+BW20080605
Ryan Cave, The "Caveman"
Truth, Honor & Personal Integrity
214-789-9366
www.CaveRealty.com |
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� Jul. 15, 2008 - Ice at the Events Center?
I've already mentioned how the Allen Events Center will have events like minor league hockey and Disney on Ice. These will be on the "main ice," but there will be a second sheet of ice nearby that you might enjoy as well. Potential programs for the second sheet of ice include:
- Public Skating
- Freestyle Skating
- Figure Skating
- Learn-to-skate programs
- Private lessons
- Adult open hockey
- Youth open hockey
- Youth "Stick and puck" programs
- Learn-to-play hocky programs
- Learn-to-figure skate programs
- Short track speed skating
- Special events like birthday parties, corporate team building, etc.
- Curling
- Youth and adult tournaments
- Women's hockey
- High school hockey teams and tournaments
- Club events
- Summer camps
- City leagues
- Broom-ball and more!
Personally, after hearing all that will be offered , I can't wait for the new Events Center to open... but of course, I'll have to. It's not scheduled to open for until late 2009. I'll publish the tentative timeline for groundbreaking, construction and completion later this week.
Ryan Cave, The "Caveman"
Truth, Honor & Personal Integrity
214-789-9366
www.CaveRealty.com |
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� Jul. 11, 2008 - Real Estate Agents... Real Professionals?
Monica McNamara (a Real Estate Agent from Ocean City Maryland) posted on her blog the thoughts right out of my brain. Ok, they were HER thoughts, but it felt like I was reading MY feelings spilled out onto the world-wide-web. It's not exactly my story, there are a few differences... like I've been licensed going on 6 years (not 23) and my wife works with me, but in the office (not out with clients). There are far more similarities though... like I too have told clients that they shouldn't buy something because I didn't think it was right for them (regardless of what this meant to my pocketbook)... and, well, like just about everything she says and feels about Real Estate Agents and our profession. Please enjoy this fantastic blog post Monica was nice enough to permit me to post here:
What would I want if I was a buyer??? I’d want someone who wasn’t trying to sell me. Sell me anything so they could make a buck. I’d want to think that they were looking out for my best interest and was really listening to me. How do you develop that kind of trust in a relationship? I would want to know the whole deal, start to finish, be honest with me, don’t tell me stuff just because you think it’s what I want to hear. Educate me. People don’t buy real estate every day. It’s an alien experience for most. Tell me the truth.
In the past, being honest has cost me, but I know that honesty in the long run has paid my bills, and made me more money then its cost me. Plus, I’ve never (touch wood-did I mention I have stupid superstitions from my mom), have I had anybody sue me in 23 years. I hear that’s pretty good.
As a buyer, I’d want to know all, and maybe I wouldn’t know the questions to ask. In other words, I wouldn’t know what I don’t know. Makes sense doesn’t it. I’d like to think I treat everyone that way. No falsehoods, no wasting their time. What concerns me, is that other practitioners don’t do business that way. I think they should. It really messes it up for the rest of us. Again, as a buyer or seller, I want to be told the deal, no holes barred, lay it out. If you decide for whatever reasons this doesn’t work, I’d like to think I am professional enough to say, “just remember me to your friends, and remember also, that I helped you make this informed decision”.
What’s better, happy customer/clients that trust and value your opinion, or being this hard sale real estate agent that brow beats someone into a decision that maybe they will regret. It gives real estate agents a bad name.
I have sold to customer and client’s friends, family, co-workers, and gosh I have been around a while, now their kids, but I feel a sense of pride. I work with my husband, Kevin. A great man, who is the best person I know. I think that’s pretty good after all these years of working and living a life together. I’ve heard him tell people they shouldn’t buy something because it wasn’t right for them. I use to look at him funny when he said something like that. Occasionally I would cringe, remind him of what we do for a living. But guess what…. he’s been doing this longer then me, and he’s right. By my calculations he’s been in this business about 34 years. His entire adult career.
The gist of what I have to say, is that if more individuals in our profession, could think of others before their bank account, our profession, would have a whole different rep (my kids word for reputation). In some cases with other agents that I’ve had the unfortunate experience of working with, it has been extremely negative and, oh god, painful and depressing. I feel sorry for the people they are representing.
My personal campaign is to continue to increase the perception of the integrity of our overall industry. We would all benefit. We all spend mucho time, money, educational pursuits, etc. to stay alive and thrive in our careers. We deal with people who are making the single biggest investment of their lives. Don’t they deserve the best of the best? Absolutely.
I have some solutions, o.k. maybe not all the answers, but some of them. Increase the c.e. requirements [continuing education]. Charge us more to stay in business. Probably not a very popular opinion. What other profession, can you get into with little or no investment? You don’t need to buy or lease an office, hire staff, office equipment, purchase inventory and more. You take a class, sit for a test, come out with a license and “voila” you hold yourself out as a “real estate professional”……pleeeease……… some of these agents are retired from other careers and they profess to know more about assisting a buyer or seller then I do about performing a root canal. Let’s raise the bar. Get the dead wood out and be the experts we profess we be.
Enough of my opinions. But I think they are very valid opinions. Let’s weed out the garbage.
Who do I think I am, just someone who thinks people should be treated fairly.
Monica – Ocean City, Maryland
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Lucky for Ocean City Maryland they have at least a few agents like Monica and her husband. I know there are a few here in the Dallas area too. Truthfully, there are plenty of agents who think this way in most cities around the country. Unfortunately, there are also plenty who do not, and those are the ones that get Real Estate Agents ranked right up there with Lawyers and Used Car Salesmen (also not all bad, despite their reputations). With any of these, the trick is to find a good and honest one, then spread the word to everyone you know.
Ryan Cave, The "Caveman"
Truth, Honor & Personal Integrity
214-789-9366
www.CaveRealty.com |
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� Jul. 7, 2008 - Boarders Opening New Concept Store
Good news for those who love to curl-up with a good book: Bookstore chain Borders Group Inc. plans to debut a huge new "concept store" in Allen this August. The store will be located at the giant new development called Watters Creek at Montgomery Farms, which is on the SW corner of Highway 75 and Bethany Drive. Specifically, Boarders will be located right next to the Market Street supermarket with an entrance facing their shared parking lot and another around back from the walking paths and streets in the Watters Creek development. Borders is said to be opening an additional 13 similar stores this year nationwide. They said the new Allen store will create 65 jobs and, I'm guessing, immense joy for book worms all over Allen and surrounding cities. They also said the concept store "represents a significant enhancement over existing Borders stores" and that it will feature a new interior look along with Internet-based services in the store. It sounds to me like they're trying to create the book store of the future. Obviously, Boarders doesn't think the Internet and the latest, portable, "digital books" (that let you download new books without ever visiting a store) will be the end of the traditional book store. We tend to agree, so my wife Sarah and I are looking forward to the new store.
"With its many avid book, music and movie lovers - together with its vibrant culture and rich history - Allen is a wonderful community for a concept store, and we are anxious for customers to start enjoying all that the store will offer this summer," said Vince Vizza, vice president of real estate for Borders Group.
Within the new store, Allen (and surrounding community) residents should get to enjoy:
- A digital center where customers can make their own CDs and download books and music to publish their own books, explore their family history and create photo books.
- Special areas for cooking, wellness, travel, graphic novels and children's sections that feature books, DVDs and related merchandise as well as programming shown on 32-inch LCD screens and computer kiosks.
- A Seattle's Best Coffee cafe that will serve beverages and fresh food.
- A Paperchase shop selling notebooks, journals, wrapping paper, greeting cards and other gifts and stationery items from U.K.-based Paperchase Products Ltd.
- Internet access available storewide through an alliance with T-Mobile.
- Self-serve search stations so that customers can check the availability of a title and its location in the store. Bonus: After Borders launches its Web site this year, customers will be able to order items at the kiosk and have their order shipped to their home or to the store. I'm asuming, perhaps, items that are not in stock or maybe even gifts wrapped and sent directly to someone special.
Click Here for Border's Press Release.
Ryan Cave, The "Caveman"
Truth, Honor & Personal Integrity
214-789-9366
www.CaveRealty.com |
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� Jul. 2, 2008 - More About The Events Center...
While it is looking like their biggest, this will hardly be the first "Events Center" (the modern term for "Arena") by Global Entertainment Corporation (GEC). With six already in operation, and two more opening soon (in addition to the one in Allen, TX), we should certainly benefit from GEC's years of experiance, and the multiple arena projects, that have come before ours. Here's a list of those in operation and those opening soon:
- Budweiser Center - Loveland, CO (Opened in 2003)
- Dodge Arena - Hidalgo, TX (2003)
- Chevrolet Centre - Youngstown, OH (2005)
- Santa Ana Star Center - Rio Rancho, NM (2006)
- Broomfield Events Center - Broomfield, CO (2006)
- Tim's Toyota Center - Prescott Valley, AZ (2006)
- Greater Wenatchee Regional Events Center - Wenatchee, WA (Opening Fall 2008)
- Independence Events Center - Independence, MI (Opening Fall 2009)
- Allen, TX Events Center (opening Fall 2009) (naming rights yet to be sold)
Based on those already in operation, the Events Center will be very nice, impressive even. So, what type of entertainers and events can we expect at our fancy new Events Center? Lets take a look at some of the acts already performing at some of these arenas (above) to get an idea:
- Sugarland
- Rage in the Cage
- Black Eagle Pow Wow
- Michael Buble
- Dierks Bently
- George Jones
- 2008 Home & Garden Show
- Disney on Ice (High School Musical, Nemo, etc.)
- Sesame Street Live
- Avril Lavigne
- George Lopez
- Fall Out Boy with Plain White Tees
- Kid Rock
- Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey Circus
- Cirque du Soleil
And here are a few possible future bookings they're working on for various arenas:
- Trans Siberian Orchestra
- Jonas Brothers
- My Chemical Romance
- Marilyn Manson
- Norah Jones
- Nelly Furtado
- Hary Conick Jr.
- Fergie
- Marc Antonia Solis
So, as you can see, they tend to book entertainment for young and old... and many different tastes. One thing is for sure, there's going to be a lot more excitement around here in the months and years to come... and that's not to mention all that will go on at the attached "second sheet of ice". Read more about this in a future post... Click on "RSS BlogFeed" on the right then "Learn more about feeds" or "Subscribe to this feed" to be kept in the loop.
Ryan Cave, The "Caveman"
Truth, Honor & Personal Integrity
214-789-9366
www.CaveRealty.com |
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