(Click on photo below to instantly view all Hills Creek Homes for Sale in Stonebridge Ranch in Mckinney)

Click either photo to view intstant homes for sale in this neighborhood. 

HILLS CREEK in Mckinney-The beautiful subdivision amist tree-lined streets and scenic views.  Escape from it all with a backyard and decks that appear to be the setting of your own paradise. At the corner of Hills Creek and Lake Forest, surrounded by exemplary-rated schools and walking distance to Glen Oaks (Exemplary-Rated AND blue-ribbon-winning) school, and less than 3 minutes from Boyd High School, this is a must-see area if looking in the $350-$450,000 range.  ”Loads of character” would describe most of these homes.  Built primarily in the late 90′s to early 2000′s …many of these homes have already been updated. Convenient to dining, and just minutes to Highway 121.  Hills Creek in Mckinney is part of the neighborhood of Stonebridge Ranch (with it’s PAGES of amenties…golfing, hiking, beach and country clubs to name a few).  

Feel free to contact me for a showing appointment or with any questionst that you may have. 

* Amy S. Arey, Realtor * Halo Group Realty, LLC * 214.901.1341 * AArey@HaloAgent.com * 

aarey.Haloagent.com 

(Click Photo to View Available Homes for Sale in Wellstone at Craig Ranch)

If you live in or around the Mckinney area at all…or even vaguely familiar with it…you’ve heard of Craig Ranch.  You’ve heard of it–Craig Ranch…the master-planned golf-course community that includes everything but the kitchen sink.  Looking for a townhome, a single-family residence, corporate campus, retail, or office space? You’ve found it…all within this “town-within-a-town”.  

Wellington at Craig Ranch, however, you may NOT have heard of.  I happened upon this community (after driving by a ZILLION times)…tonight was the first time I had actually shown the property to a client.  My client was looking for a rental property actually…something under $3,000 a month and without the upkeep of a yard since they travel a lot.  They wanted something that provided amenities (ie: fitness center, billiards room and clubhouse, along with a fitness center) as well as the lush finish-out of a custom home.  At a median 2700 sf, this patio home in Mckinney was absolutely perfect for them.  The entryway is graced with slate flooring, and looks out over the family room with hand-scraped hardwoods and tons of built-ins.  The architecture and extensive crown and door molding will remind you of a historical home…but with all of the modern finishes…including surround-sound ready media rooms with enough space for a bar area or whatever-your-hearts-desire.  All homes range from 2700-3200 sf, (2 and 3-bedroom plans) and are currently listed for sale from $330,000 to $360,000. This is a must-see if you are looking within the Mckinney area and want to beautiful scenic views of the tree-lined streets, surrounded by golf-courses but do not want the actual upkeep of all of those amenities.  This community is PERFECT for the busy executive who may work from home and not need to commute to Dallas (at least not every day).  Easy access to 121 and just minutes to Plano.  Click the photo for current homes for sale or view current homes for lease in Wellstone at Craig Ranch.  

Always available for any questions that you may have on this community or in and around the Mckinney, Allen, Frisco area(s).  

-Amy S. Arey, Realtor 

Halo Group Realty, LLC 

214.901.1341-Cell 

http://aarey.haloagent.com/index.html 

I‘ve oftentimes been asked “why didn’t you just call XYZ when you needed XYZ”?  Call it overly independent (or frustrated with service people) or just plain stubborn ….I didn’t want to wait.  Today, most anything can be found on google.  Prior to a month ago, I had never jumped a car batter before (now I’m a pro!)…learned by…you guessed it-google!  (Never fear…they only make it sound like you’re going to blow up the world!)  So…if you find yourself in a situation like I did today…standing water in the sink and the garbage-disposal not working…I wanted to share this article in hopes of helping someone else.  (Sure…I have a very well-known owner of a plumbing company right across from me….((who, I might add is also the person who told me my alternator was going out on my car and to have it towed in when it only needed a new battery ; )…nevermind all of that…he’s a plumber…not a mechanic))….try GOOGLE FIRST and save yourself some frustration and a service fee.  Though I will never, ever try to recaulk a bathroom shower…I do change my own tires, jump my own batteries….and now unclog my own garbage disposal…and you can too–easily.  The article I used for this task: 

How To Unclog A Garbage Disposal

So you look in your sink and see that you have some standing water over the garbage disposal. Well it’s a pretty common problem, especially for those of us who love to stuff potato peels or shredded carrots down there rather than just throw them out. So just how do you unclog a garbage disposal? Well it’s not as hard as you might assume, there are really two ways you can go about it and it depends on what is causing the problem. Let me explain.

Let’s say you dropped a piece of steak down the drain either on purpose or by accident (we won’t judge you), and as we know steak can be very tough so garbage disposal blades will probably have a hard time grinding it up. Since the blades can’t move through or around the steak chunk your garbage disposal is jammed and you need it unjammed in a hurry. The good news is that it really isn’t very difficult to free it up.

The first thing you need to do is shut off the power at the main circuit breaker. Let me repeat that… shut the power off! You are dealing with electricity and water here, don’t mess around.

Next, your disposal should have come with a special wrench that is essentially a big allen wrench (the one that looks like an L). If you cant find yours you can try using a regular allen wrench or you can buy an InSinkerator Jam Buster Wrench which will cost you around six dollars.

Once you have the power off and you have located your jam buster wrench, get underneath the clogged garbage disposal and you will notice a hole directly in the center of the disposal. Place the jam buster wrench or allen wrench in the hole and turn clockwise until you feel resistance. Once you feel resistance turn counter clockwise until you feel the resistance again. The resistance you are feeling is whatever is causing the clog, so in order to unclog garbage disposal you need to knock it out. Keep repeating until the resistance is gone.

When you no longer feel resistance, turn the power back on at the breaker and underneath the disposal press the red reset button. Flip the switch and test the disposal out to make sure it was unclogged. Just one suggestion… you may want to stand back from the disposal especially if there is standing water as debris and water may spray out when you start the disposal.

That’s it, you’re done.

Now some of you will try this and wonder to yourself why you don’t feel any resistance. If you don’t feel any resistance from your clogged garbage disposal, your garbage disposal may not be clogged… the drain pipe may be. What probably happened is that the disposal was able to process the food, but it was too much for the pipe to handle. This is very common with carrot or potato peels especially as they seem small but they stick together easily and don’t decompose as rapidly (just think of how long it takes for them to get mushy when you make soup).

Don’t worry this one isn’t hard to fix either. First find a plunger. I would HIGHLY recommend that you buy a new plunger rather than use the one that you use on your toilet, but hey to each their own. If you have a double sink, plug the non-garbage disposal sink with a rubber stopper, if you don’t have one buy one.

Place the plunger over the opening of the garbage disposal sink and press firmly which will force air down in to the pipes. Repeat a few times, unplug the non-disposal sink and try the disposal to see if it is unplugged. If not repeat a few more times and try again.

If the plunger still doesn’t work you could let the water stand for a little while (not too long though) and try the process again. Sometimes the pressure building from the standing water is enough pressure to clear the clogged drain, but more than likely you will need to call a plumber to take the pipes apart. If you are familiar with plumbing and drains you can try taking it apart yourself, but for 99% of the folks reading this article I would highly recommend a plumber.

There you have in, unclogging a garbage disposal isn’t that difficult, in fact if you have the right tools it can be downright easy.

-The Carpenters Workshop.

If more than your garbage disposal has you losing that loving feeling with your current home, feel free to contact me…let’s find you a new love.

* Amy S. Arey, Realtor * Halo Group Realty, LLC * 214.901.1341 *

http://aarey.haloagent.com/

Click on the Photo above to View all Homes Currently for Sale in “Cascades” in Mckinney. 

This hidden gem of a community offers homes exclusively by “Huntington Homes”.  Hidden beneath the impressive waterfall entrance, this community offers homes from the $500′s, which range in size from 3800 sf to over 5000 sf.  Lots of scenery, neighborhood parks and oversized lots surround this community.  Cascades sits in Stonebridge Ranch in Mckinney amoung exemplary-rated schools.  Click the photo above to learn more about current homes for sale in Cascades in Mckinney, TX.  

Contact me directly to view any of the available homes:  Amy S. Arey, Realtor, Halo Group Realty. 214.901.1341, AArey@HaloAgent.com 

Click on the photo above for current listing of pre-existing homes and townhomes for sale in Adriatica, Mckinney’s “Croatican Village”. 

Ahhhh….”Adriatica”.  How can you not drive by this place and just not fall in love with it?  The beautiful scenery and Mediterranean craftsmanship captures everyone’s attention the minute they see it.  Many times, I have been showing homes in this area,  and the reaction is always the same “What is THAT PLACE??”.  This Croatian Village lies in the heart of Stonebridge Ranch in Mckinney (the ONLY city in Texas that made the list of CNN Money Magazine’s Best Places to live in the United States…in the top TEN, I might add).  Adriatica is at the corner of Stonebridge Ranch Parkway and Virginia.

The Blackard Group, developer for this Croatian Village, modeled this project after the “real” Croatia…to the East of Italy, on the East side of the Adriatic Sea. Croatia has a long history of pre-Romanesque architectural influence, so definitely expect the old-world-style theme to be carried on throughout this development.  Here, you will be able to view many reflections of true Croatian landmarks-the pond to mimic the Adriatic Sea, the tower, the promise stone sculpture…and so much more.  ”Romantic”…is a word that often comes to mind when viewing this location…

Adriatica has 74 homesites available for custom construction by the water by developer George Fuller.  Homes range from $450,000 to 1.2 Million.  Lots begin at $40,000. (Fuller Designs has been named a “D-Magazine” best builder 5 years in a row).  Only ten minutes from either 75 OR Dallas Tollway, the Reflections of Dalmatia is just minutes of Stonebridge Ranch’s Beach club, golf-course resort, and tennis.  Exemplary-rated schools surround this lush community.

Vast amenities such as The Guitar Sanctuary, Nan Lee Jewelry, Cavalli’s Pizzeria, Silk Road Thai Restaurant, Zen Zin Wine Bar (my personal favorite), and of course an amazing Starbucks across from Adriatica’s Day Spa, you simply can’t go wrong.  Adriatica is home to many growing businesses in Mckinney who desire a location with a serene atmosphere or view unlike any other.  Let us not forget the beauty of the Bella Donna Chapel-a must-see that will capture your heart.

For more information on home sites, existing homes for Sale in Adriatica, or available townhomes or flats, feel free to contact me at AArey@HaloAgent.com.  I look forward to answering any questions that you might have and showing you this beautiful location.

* Amy S. Arey, Realtor * Halo Group Realty * 214.901.1341-Cell*

Looking for a Golf-Course Neighborhood in Stonebridge Ranch or with Exemplary-Rated Schools with lush landscaping and water-views?  Look no further! 

“Wellington Point” offers homes currently for sale from $399,000 to over a million.  Wellington Point is home of Bennett Elementary, Dowell Middle School, and Boyd High School. 

Enjoy plenty of relaxing views on your way home from work while gazing at all of the magnificant, mature trees, in an array of colors.  If you are looking for an area to call home with 

convenience to 75 or 121, this is it.  Just minutes from Adriatica, the areas best golf courses, loads of family amenities and a growing night-life for the single crowd as well, the ever-growing list of amenities of Stonebridge Ranch make this neighborhood an amazing place to call home at any point in one’s life!  

Click on the photo below to view current homes for sale in Wellington Point. 

Curious about other neighborhoods in the Stonebridge Ranch area?  Feel free to contact me with any questions! 

* Amy S. Arey, Realtor * Halo Group Realty * 214.901.1341 * AArey@HaloAgent.com * 

The Lovejoy Independent School District is located on Country Club RD, three miles east of Allen and about 25 miles north of Dallas in the fast developing region of central Collin County. The district covers the area of approximately 19 square miles, bound by Plano ISD on the south, Allen ISD on the west, andMcKinney ISD on the north. Lovejoy ISD is currently responsible for the education for over 3,400 students. Since 1917 Lovejoy has served the residents of Fairview, Lucas, and other surrounding neighborhoods.

Click on the photo below to view all homes for sale in Lovejoy ISD.

For additional information, contact Amy directly at 214.901.1341.

Courtesy Halo Group Realty, LLC