Recycle Right

Community Waste Disposal (CWD) recently announced a new recycling rewards program for the City of Wylie.   The program is designed to not only increase participation in Wylie’s recycling program but to educate citizens on acceptable recyclable items through rewards.

According to CWD’s President Greg Roemer, many of the blue recycling carts contain contaminants, rendering the loads un-recyclable.  The biggest offenders are grass clippings; shredded paper; plastic bags and packaging; wax coated paper drink containers; paper, plastic and Styrofoam serving items; and paper towels, facial tissue and toilet tissue.

Each week a CWD representative will inspect a selection of blue recycling carts throughout Wylie.  A red (High Contaminants), yellow (Almost There) or green (Recycle Program Compliant) tag will be placed on the cart. A red tag indicates the contents of the cart are not recyclable; icons of the contaminants will be circled on the tag.  The load will be emptied into the regular trash. A yellow tag indicates that some of the contents are not recyclable; offending items will be indicated on the tag.  The load will be disposed of in the recycling truck. A green tag indicates that the cart is compliant and the majority of the items are recyclable.  An entry number will be listed on the tag for the opportunity to win prizes.  Go to www.communitywastedisposal.com to see if they are one of the week’s winners.   According to CWD, prizes will include restaurant and retail gift certificates. Click here for complete details of CWD’s trash and recycling programs in Wylie.

By Carol Lloyd

How do you value your child’s education?

If this sounds like a chowder-headed question to ask a group of conscientious parents, it’s worth noting that economists have been parsing this issue for decades. But they’re not in search of feel-good maxims like “My children are priceless, so educating them is of the highest value to me.”

 Tempted to pay more for a house just for a better school? Consider these issues:

1. Do you love the school — or its test scores? Do your homework.
2.  Will you be happy in the community? If parents don’t feel at home, it’s hard on the kids too.
3.  Can you really afford the house? Foreclosure probably trumps the trauma of a mediocre school!
4.  Calculate your priorities: Do your children need their own bathroom or a great teacher?
5.  Private school tuition cannot be written off taxes, but property taxes and mortgage interest can.
6.  Homes can be leveraged for equity lines to pay for college, so they may provide important financial support for future educational costs.

 No, we’re talking cold, hard dollars and cents. As any real estate agent worth her smartphone knows, high-performing schools and higher price per square foot seem engaged in an eternal tango. The question that vexes economists is of the chicken-and-egg variety: Do better schools lead to higher home prices or the other way around?

Public school price bump

In many cities such calculations are hard to do without an advanced degree in statistics, but sometimes the value of public schools is starkly evident. Piedmont, Calif., a small, upscale city surrounded by economically diverse Oakland, is known for its top-rated schools. According to a recent scan of the multiple listing service, homes in Piedmont run at least $100K more than an Oakland home of the same size and quality located directly across the street.

In Cupertino, Calif., where virtually all the elementary schools rake in stratospheric scores on standardized tests, the price of run-of-the-mill ranch homes can go for several hundred thousand dollars more than those in nearby communities with mediocre schools. This premium doesn’t deter some parents: One father who moved his family so his children could attend the top-rated Stevens Creek Elementary School in Cupertino told the New Yorker he’d circled the perimeter of the school district on a map and given it to his real estate agent.

When buying into the best goes bad

Jessica Gottleib, a mother and blogger based in Los Angeles, made a similar calculation, but it backfired. “I bought into a ‘good school’ neighborhood,” she says. “By moving just a few blocks away, we could have saved about $200,000.”

Gottleib discovered the problem with long-term bets on a school based on its past performance: You can’t control its future. After she moved her family into the new home, the high-performing neighborhood school — as Gottleib put it — “tanked.” Her children ended up in private schools. Now she cautions other parents to avoid making the same mistake: “I routinely tell moms to save their money and buy the house they love in the neighborhood they love.”

A Curated Wine Site Where You Can Get Bottles For A Steal

If you’re anything like us, you often find yourself wandering the aisles at your local wine store, dumbfounded by the sheer number of choices at your disposal.

For some much needed assistance, try CellarThief, an online wine retailer that offers tips, recommendations and bargain-priced bottles.

Each day, CellarThief features three hand-picked wines and sells them at well below retail price for twenty-four hours. In addition to featuring standard tasting notes, they provide a plain English translation detailing why they’re crazy about a particular bottle.

If food pairings are your thing, CellarThief has detailed suggestions for what to eat with that light Sauvignon Blanc (pasta, chicken or fruit). Personally, we’re using the site to stock up for Passover, which starts next week.

CellarThief also has a clean water distribution program. For every bottle sold, they donate 100 days worth of water. They also work with wineries and suppliers who supplement these donations. When you purchase a bottle, you see how much water your bottle will provide.

Choosing wine has never been simpler, or more charitable. Visit CellarThief

By George Ratiu, Research Economist

Broadstone Woodbridge in Wylie, TX

The economy concluded 2009 with a positive level of activity. Gross domestic product advanced at a better-than-expected 5.9 percent rate. Other economic indicators also pointed towards a continued recovery. At the same time, commercial real estate concluded the year with mixed results. Fundamentals remained weak, investments were down and the volume of distressed properties increased. Contracting credit and a tightened lending environment added to the pressure.
In the broad landscape of commercial properties, the multifamily sector has fared comparatively better. Demand for space was modest but positive. Net absorption closed the year at 105,458 units. Yet, there are factors which caused adverse impacts in the sector.
Household formation seems to be one of those factors. More precisely, the prolonged recession of the past two years has taken a toll on the number of people starting a household. Based on household formation data from the Census Bureau, the 10-year average of new households being formed has been 1.3 million per year. However, this number decreased significantly in both 2008 and 2009. From a decade-high of 3.5 million in 2001, household formation dropped to 772,000 in 2008 and only 398,000 in 2009.

Household Formation

It is not surprising that many people delay forming households considering the current employment environment. Except for a solitary 0.6% rise in November 2009, payroll employment has been declining for two years. Over this period, 8.4 million jobs have been cut, leading many job seekers into longer job searches, and causing others to discontinue their attempts altogether. The number of people receiving unemployment benefits reached the 4.6 million mark this past week.
In addition, the multifamily sector has experienced pressures from increased sales activity in residential housing. Growing foreclosures coupled with declines in values have prompted banks and homeowners to turn existing houses into rental properties, increasing rental supply. In addition, rising sales combined with lower housing formation have reduced demand for rental properties. Existing home sales rose during the second half of 2009, posting a strong performance during the fourth quarter. On a yearly basis, following a 7.0 percent decline in activity in the first quarter and a 2.9 slide during the second quarter, sales rebounded 5.7 percent in the third quarter and jumped 27.2 percent in the fourth quarter of the year.
Demand for apartments, as measured by net absorption, weakened in 2009. In the fourth quarter of the year, net absorption reached a modest 12,501 units. The first quarter 2010 is expected to see absorption at the 18,500 mark. Based on improved economic conditions, the sector is expected to provide a year of mixed performance.
On the supply side, the number of new units outpaced demand throughout 2009. For the year, there were 177,589 new apartment units completed. The number of completions is expected to decline noticeably in 2010. However, the high level of new space pushed vacancy rates higher. Apartment vacancy closed 2009 at 7.4 percent. Curtailing new construction is expected to moderate availability in 2010.

Multifamily Fundamentals

Regionally, a stronger economy and lower supply volume are keeping vacancy rates lower in certain metro areas. The lowest availability rate for the first quarter is in San Jose, followed by Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. Other markets with low rates are Northern New Jersey, Boston and San Diego.
At the top of the availability range, Jacksonville, Phoenix and Houston are posting vacancies of 12.3 percent, 11.3 percent and 11.0 percent, respectively. They are followed by Atlanta (10.5%), Fort Worth (10.3%), Dallas (10.0%) and Las Vegas (10.0%).
In light of growing vacancies, rent growth at the national level has been on a steady decline. After a 1.2 percent decline in the second and 1.3 percent in the third quarters, the fourth quarter posted a 1.0 percent decline in rent, closing the year with a 3.6 percent drop. Rent is projected to decline an additional 1.0 percent in the first quarter. For 2010, rent is expected to decrease 3.4 percent. While the apartment sector maintained more resiliency through the recession, it has not escaped unscathed.

Lowest Multifamily Vacancy Rates

Copyright National Association of REALTORS®, Reprinted with permission.

Lofts at Mockingbird Station in Dallas

2009 Taste of Wylie

The 16th Annual Taste of Wylie will be held April 19, 2010, from 11 – 2:00 pm at the newly opened First Baptist Church Special Events Center located at 200 N. Ballard in downtown Wylie.  All proceeds benefit the Community Christian Care Center in Wylie.  The Community Christian Care Center provides families in need, and seniors, with food and other services year round.  This is a wonderful opportunity to help those in need in our community and have fun at the same time!

During the event, there will be both a live and silent auction.  All of the restaurants will serve bite-size samples for the attendees to taste!  This event is the largest fund raiser for the Christian Care Center and is 100% volunteer.  Restaurants all compete for the best table decorations (this will be fun to see – eye candy to go with our stimulated taste buds!).  Last year about 900 people attended the event and showed their support.  Good food, friends, and fun for a cause:  I’m there!  Join us!

Generous Contributors for 2010:
Albertson’s
Ballard Street Café & Grill
Brookshire’s Grocery
Chiloso’s Mexican Bistro
Dickey’s Bar-B-Q
Pizza Getti
Taste of Home
Woodbridge Golf Club & Restaurant
Meteor Hamburgers
Say it with Sugar Cake Shop
Chick-fil-a
Costco
Hooleys
Olive Garden Italian Restaurant
Fish City Grill
Siciliano’s Taste of Italy
Sonic Drive-In
Wal-Mart – Wylie
PaPa Murphy’s Take N Bake
Buffalo Wild Wings Garland and Rockwall
Napoli’s
La Flor
Dominos
Founders Plaza Senior Community

Enjoy Downtown Wylie

Wow, this move-in ready home in Provence of Firewheel could not possibly be priced any lower. With recent neighborhood home sales at $375 – $439, this home is an amazing find. Look at this view!

Multiple offers are not uncommon (especially when discounts this deep are offered), so bring your best offer to the table. 

The upgrades are beautiful, the neighborhood is serene, and the location is convenient to 190/George Bush Turnpike, Firewheel Town Center, AMC Theatres, and many restaurants and activities.  Choice of schools in GISD.

If you would like to schedule a showing for this property, please contact Angie Stephens via e-mail (angiestephens@ebby.com) or by phone at 469-236-9899.

1802 Drew in Richardson Open March 20, 2010 from 1-4

 Property Description: Beautiful custom home on large landscaped corner lot. Light & bright through-out with many windows to enjoy the view of the backyard & atrium. So many amenities with updated Corian counters, all wood cabinets, gas cooktop, microwave, pantry, hardwood, built-ins, intercom, ceiling fans, walk-in wet bar, split 4th bedroom with half bath & numerous large closets. Both living areas are oversized and perfect for entertaining. Convenient location

Directions: From 75, go East on Campbell to red light at Yale. Turn North into neighborhood, West on Chestnut Hill (which turns into Brandeis) & East on Drew.

Master Bath with Seperate Shower and Seperate Closets

Updated kitchen, beautiful cabinetry and counters

The date is May 8th, 2010, with the gates opening at 8 am and closing at 4 pm.

This year’s garage sale should be very big.  People have been moving a lot, with the tax credit and low interest rates;  these people are probably scanning the classifieds at this very minute to see where they are going to buy what they need to fill their new homes!

I, for one, have been looking forward to this event since the weekend after last year’s event.  We moved in the day after the garage sale.  We had some extra furniture and items to put out on Saturday, before the movers arrived on Sunday.  We had no idea how much we’d have left over once our house was filled!  And, yes, we were unloading trucks in-between tornado sirens, sheets of rain and crackling thunder.  The day of the sale was beautiful.  Moving day Sunday was NOT!  Ah, memories…

Looking for some classic literature?  Someone is! 

Get your books, movies, outgrown clothes, and outdated decor out!  Price it up (or down), set it up, and pray for sunshine.  It’s going to be big this year!

Retro or No-No?

You never know who might be the next person in need of a vintage moo-moo.  It could be your neighbor.  It could be a Hollywood set designer or costumer.  Don’t be shy:  don’t save it for Goodwill!  Pull it out and set it up!

Kids love to shop:  give them some pocket change, and you probably won’t see them for hours! 
(this is not an endorsement for sending the little ones out unsupervised…)

Your cabinets have enough clutter, right?  Why bury yourself in things you aren’t using anyway.  Pull it out, dust it off, and see who else might be setting up their first home or kitchen!  Your extra waffle iron may be just what they need to make their space “home.”

Beautiful drive-up at this home in Provence at Firewheel

Wow, this move-in ready home in Provence of Firewheel could not possibly be priced any lower.  With recent neighborhood home sales at $375 – $439, this home is an amazing find.  Look at this view!

Backyard View at 1209 Howard

Elegant Kitchen