Kim Daugherty, d + b real estate McKinney, TX REALTOR Broker/Owner

Enjoy a short drive around the downtown historic square in McKinney TX! But don't let this be the only view of the square you see...make sure you come and explore yourself.

Here are a few of my favorite places to visit:

1. Patina Green Home & Market - hot tip: Fan them on Facebook and you'll see what items are being offered for that day's menu. I've NEVER been disappointed! Oh, and the home decor items are astounding! No "cookie cutter" furniture here. Each piece is hand picked from around the globe. LOVE!
2. Sauce on the Square - a favorite lunch spot-  the "make your own" pizza is great, but I like the steak and goat cheese. Delish!
3. Rick's Chophouse - a great place for a special night out with the significant other. Steaks are UN-BE-LIEVE-A-BLE! Go in the Spring or Fall and sit on the patio and enjoy live music and people watching. TIP: make sure to get a reservation on the weekend!
4. Paciugo Gelato Cafe - right next door to Rick's, I could literally bathe in each one of the flavors they offer. If I had to recommend one it would be Mediterranean Sea Salted Caramel. Mmmmmm....
5. Square Burger - get the mushroom avocado burger with sweet potato fries! Ladies, you could score points by taking your guy here. Come on...tasty burgers + over 30 unique draft beers = major POINTS for you!
6. Swanky Boutique - incredible selection of designer boots and fun, big, statement jewelry. And, if you scored points by doing #5 above, he might not be so upset if you come home with a few nice things for yourself! Worth a try, right?
7. Arabella's - another favorite place to hit up when I want to add a fun piece to my wardrobe. Retail Therapy at it's finest!
8. Landon Winery - design your own custom wine label and make a great gift for a friend! Plus, look like you've spent a boatload doing it. I've purchased bottles there for wedding and housewarming gifts. Incredible wine selection. Cozy, romantic atmosphere.
9. Main Street Magic - a TRUE magic store with professional magicians on staff daily. Stop in to shop and they'll almost always pull out a trick or two. The kids LOVE it!

Those are just MY suggestions. What am I missing? With Valentine's Day quickly approaching you might want to consider coming down for a horse-drawn carriage ride around the Square and dinner at ANY of the spots mentioned above.

You can thank me later! ;)
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You've all heard of driving around and making neighborhood tours...
Been there, done that right?

That was soooooo 2010.

Now, please sit down, or if you're reading this while driving then please pull over (you know some of you do this).

Friends, I give to you the FIRST EVER (I have no way of verifying this) Neighborhood Tour...shot while running a 10K race!

Yes, I've managed to combine the competitiveness that REALTOR's inevitably possess in their business with the drama and excitement of running.

A few important disclaimers prior to watching:
-If you experience motion sickness, as occurs while watching films shot on hand held camera's much like the Blair Witch Project, then please - PLEASE- take some Dramamine and then come back to watch this in about an hour. I will not be responsible if you vomit on your laptop due to the "active" nature of this video.

-my "running" is technically "jogging"

-my "jogging" does not technically qualify as a lot of "drama and excitement" like I tried to plug in the above intro.

-my "competitiveness" in running this 10K does not really register on the scale - I got SIDE TRACKED, OK??!! I just wanted to finish and not sound COMPLETELY out of breath while trying to give tidbits and facts about Stonebridge Ranch while "running".

-If you are reading this and are associated with the Guinness Book of World Records, then "call me"! I think this HAS to qualify, dare I say, as the FASTEST 10K run while giving a neighborhood tour...well, until one of you Active Rainers reads this, your competitiveness kicks in and quickly puts my time to shame.

-Finally, I'm not stating my finish time. Talk about a cliff hanger, huh!?

So, without further ado...enjoy this Running Tour of Stonebridge Ranch in McKinney Texas! Six point two miles of neighborhood facts, insights and "can't live without" information!

Selling your McKinney TX or Collin County TX home this Spring? If you're like me, you've probably already started a laundry list or "honey do" list of things you want to complete prior to listing the home. (I'm not selling my home, but I do have an affinity for making lists!)

If not, then you're like my husband. And that's fine too...so long as you have an understanding of what needs to be done in order to have your home in TOP condition and STAGED to sell.

Here are a 4 things you need to have figured out before you go to put a For Sale sign in the yard:

1. Choose the right McKinney TX or Collin County TX Realtor!

2. If it's been a while since you bought your home, or if you're unsure as to the condition of the home, then consider having your home pre-inspected so that you're not blind sided by any big repairs once you have a buyer conduct their inspections.

3. Make any repairs that you are aware of...NOW! For example: cracked window in the bathroom? Fix it now! Light above the kitchen sink doesn't work? Fix it now! Door handle missing in the kid's bedroom? Fix it now! If you wait for the buyer to have an inspection and to negotiate any items needing repair, you may be waiting for a while to get a contract. Potential buyers may see these small repairs as a sign that the home is being neglected and then wonder about the BIG components of the house and how they have been (or haven't been) maintained - like the HVAC, plumbing or foundation.

4. De-clutter, Organize and Neutralize! Start packing up items that have not been used in the last six months. Consider having a garage sale to get rid of items you know won't be coming with you to your new destination. If your home has busy paint colors or wallpapers, now is the time to consider painting them a neutral color. Remember, you want your home to appeal to the MOST buyers out there. You may LOVE your mauve kitchen - and another buyer out there may LOVE it too - however, 99% will want to see a neutral "blank canvas". They need to be able to picture their furnishings and their style of decorating in your home....

and with that I'd like to tell you about a FREE upcoming class held by our local Pottery Barn!

What: How to Accessorize Your Home - learn how to use stylish accents to create great living spaces
Where: Pottery Barn in Stonebriar Mall - Frisco TX (lower level near Nordstrom's)
When: Sunday, February 6th at 10 am (BEFORE the Superbowl...so you guys out there can't use THAT as an excuse not to go!)

d + b real estate prides itself on being a full-service real estate boutique. We even brand ourselves as a "boutique" because we feel the level of customer service we provide our clients, in addition to our expertise in the markets our agents serve goes beyond the standard "big box" feel of the the larger "chains".

However, just because we are a full service brokerage - helping our customers buy, sell or lease real estate - doesn't mean we don't offer a form of savings to our clients. In fact, there are two instances where the Barron-Daugherty team at d + b real estate feels our clients deserve a "break". After all, we have families ourselves and are looking for as many ways to save money in this economy.

With that, we're excited to share our client loyalty programs that help our clients $ave when buying or selling real estate in 2011...

1. The "Movin' on Up" Program

When you sell your current home AND BUY a larger home with the Barron-Daugherty Team you will save 1% off the total sales commission on your sale.

For example: Your family of 4 is expecting a 5th! Your 1,800 square foot starter home in McKinney is quickly becoming too small! What you really need is a larger 5 bedroom home with over 2,500 square feet. So, you sell your $175,000 home and buy a larger home that costs $225,000. The new home costs more than the home you are selling...soooo...the good news: YOU QUALIFY FOR THE "MOVIN' ON UP" PROGRAM! Let us help save you money in your real estate purchase.

In this instance, you will save $1,750.00!!

2. The "Hometown Hero" Program!

Are you a firefighter/paramedic, police officer or teacher? If you are, then the Barron-Daugherty team thinks you are a HOMETOWN HERO! As a proud wife of a firefighter, I know the hard work, hours and risk you face while on the job. Policeteachers?! Teachers, I salute you - I don't know HOW you do it - day in, day out. You seriously deserve a six figure salary for dealing with our kiddos!

As a way to say THANK YOU for the services you provide to our community, we'd like to help you save $$ when buying or selling a home! You'll receive a $500.00 credit at the closing table! Use it to help pay for your closing costs or as a way to keep more cash in your pocket for fixing up the new digs: painting, furniture or maybe use it for that sweet new equipment for the media room.

Hang in There!

We know that the past few years haven't been easy for anyone in our economy. Layoffs happen. Salary cuts happen. LIFE happens. Just know that you've got local Collin County REALTORS who are happy to help you save money when every dollar counts. When you call to make an appointment for a market analysis or a home buyers consultation, make sure to mention our savings programs and we'll get the ball rolling!

We're also happy to recommend quality loan officers, home stagers or other vendors to help you achieve your goals. Just give us a call at 972-838-5394!

Rivalries. We all love 'em. You're either on one side of the debate...or the other...no gray area.

Let's think about some famous rivalries:

Muhammed Ali vs Joe Frazier
Leno vs Letterman
Nature vs Nurture
Texas A&M vs University of Texas (I could write an entire POST about THIS one! [Gig 'em Ags!])
Coyote vs Roadrunner
Lindsay Lohan vs Sobriety (while funny (?), I can't take credit for this one)

Now let's throw this debate into the real estate ring:

"In one corner, you know 'em... you've seen 'em on TV ... it's your National Franchise Brokerage!"
(**insert Boo's** [yes, I am biased. Sorry. Remember the whole "no gray area" comment earlier?]

"In the other, it's your hometown hero, your neighbor next door, your Locally Owned Independent Brokerage!!"
(**crowd goes wild!!!**)

--> Let me just say real quick that while this blog post obviously favors the local-yokel's, this post is NOT about being pro-Franchise or pro-Independent. We've been there, done that.

What I'd like to call attention to however, is the need to keep our spending dollars in our hometowns, and to let you know about an organization whose purpose is to do just that: the 3/50 project. Their motto: "Saving the brick and mortars our nation is built on".

The 3/50 Project was started last year and the concept is quite simple: choose 3 of your favorite LOCAL stores that you would be sad to see close their doors. Then, commit to spend $50 per month in each of those stores. Easy!

According to statistics on their website, "if half of the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue".

For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you were to spend that same $100 in a national chain, only $43 would stay there. Spending that $100 online returns NOTHING to the community.

In an economy where people are being laid off right and left, I believe it's more important than ever to help support our local businesses. Many start up businesses are a result of people losing their jobs from Corporate America. They end up reflecting on their lives, what their passions TRULY are and end up opening a business to help support their passion and to build a business that is THEIR OWN. Something that they could pass on to their children for generations to come.

As an independent real estate brokerage whose office is located in the heart of McKinney Main Street in downtown McKinney, I'm surrounded my hundreds of unique shops and restaurants. I. LOVE. IT! For lunch I don't head down to Chili's or Olive Garden, now I head over to my neighbors at Patina Green, Sauce or Spoons. I see it as a way to help those businesses stay open and invest into my community.

"Supporting our local businesses is great and all, but how does this matter to real estate brokerages?"

Locally owned brokerages have the benefit of not having to pay out thousands of dollars in the form of national franchise fees, national brokerage dues or national advertising funds. The money that WOULD HAVE BEEN SPENT on those things can instead be spent on local advertising or given back to their agents to spend as they see necessary in the form of lower office fees or higher commission splits. When more of an agents money can be pocketed, that agent can turn around and invest it back into their local businesses, restaurants and shops. Maybe they can pay it forward within their community by using a local graphic design or advertising company, local printing shop or local radio station. Maybe they can spend the money that would have gone to national brokerage dues to sponsor a local baseball team or area event like a 5K instead.

The city of McKinney has an initiative that coincides with the 3/50 project nicely. It's the "McKinney First! Be Vocal. Buy Local." campaign. McKinney statistics say that of every $100 spent in McKinney $73 stays here!

In 2011 take the "buy it local" pledge. Do your best to seek out local businesses and spend your dollars there...first. Your community will thank you!