Steve Shatsky - Dallas Real Estate & Short Sale Specialist (469)449-9840

The Dallas area has many great Independence Day celebrations to choose from. One of my favorites is Kaboom Town in Addison.

A free, night-long celebration of our country’s independence and national pride, Kaboom Town has been rated one of the top places to watch Independence Day fireworks in the USA by the American Pyrotechnics Association, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.

The event will feature live music performances, historic airplane flyovers and a fireworks display choreographed to music and a live radio simulcast on 100.3 JACK FM.

Kaboom Town begins Friday July 3 at 5:00pm (what a great way to kick off the holiday weekend) and runs until Midnight at Addison Circle Park. It is one of my personal favorites and definitely a "don't miss" event!

Whatever your Independence Day weekend plans are, please be sure to be safe. Do not drink and drive, and if you are planning your own personal fireworks celebration, make sure to exercise caution for your sake and the sake of your loved ones.

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Our local Real Estate market is as HOT as the Texas summer! Are you interested in buying or selling a home? For more information about homes available for sale, and my services for both Homebuyers and Sellers please visit my website at www.WeAreSold.com

I've been saying the Real Estate market is HOT here in Dallas for weeks now... and I am not talking about the temperature in the high 90's here today! Indications like the return of multiple offers and decreasing property inventories have led me to make such a bold statement with very little hesitation. In fact, my only hesitation would be fear of jinxing it by mentioning the noticeable improvement.

Well today I got another sign of just how nicely things are improving. I took a new listing this weekend (Immaculate Highland Park West Townhouse: 3809 S. Versailles, Dallas 75209 ) and as I stood outside the front of the home today to put the lockbox on the door and put the "For Sale" sign in the yard a car pulled up and the driver rolled down the window to ask if I was putting up an Open House sign. I explained that I was not holding the home open today, as it had just been listed and would not be available for showings until tomorrow.

He said he has been looking at this small neighborhood of townhouses for a long time and is very serious about buying one, but hasn't found one he liked yet. I rang the bell, got permission from the owner to show it on the spot, and the buyer is genuinely interested. He is calling the mortgage broker tomorrow and (assuming he can get qualify for the loan amount) is considering an offer.

This is an exceptionally nice townhome and is well priced for the location. The listing was not even in MLS until a few hours ago. Just proof that well staged and well priced homes don't stick around for long... and that the Real Estate market in Dallas is, indeed, HOT!

I have a feeling that this one isn't going to stay on the market very long!

This past week was my friend Lynne Gorman’s birthday. As a birthday treat, several of us in my office decided to take Lynne out for lunch and she chose one of my long-time favorite places, Ali Baba Mediterranean Grill.

Ali Baba has been a Dallas institution for years, most of them spent at its original location on lower Greenville Avenue, just a block from my office. About a year ago they moved to slightly larger and more upscale digs in the Lakewood shopping district at 1901 Abrams Road (and also opened additional locations in both Richardson and Irving).

The biggest changes from the more cramped Greenville Avenue location are that there is now significantly more seating, so the previously long waits for tables seems much more reasonable and they have shifted from a menu based operation to a buffet style operation. (Menu ordering is still available).

The food at Ali Baba is outstanding, flavorful and delicious. It seems like the entire menu has found its way to the 2 buffet tables and the opportunity to stuff myself with their Mediterranean delicacies is too tempting to only get one plate!

Some of my favorite items are their Falafel (small patties made from deep fried mashed chick peas) and Hummus (pureed chick peas with tahini, lemon juice and garlic). Their Gyros have always been among my favorites and everyone at out lunch commented on how much they loved the Kafta (Ground beef mixed with parsley, onions and spices, rolled into a link sausage shape and grilled). The buffet also features a variety of fresh salads like Tabouli (cracked wheat, parsley, tomatoes, lemon juice and spring onions) and Greek Salad with olives and feta cheese.

The prices are reasonable… especially given the buffet style portions and the waitstaff are friendly and attentive. Ali Baba Mediterranean Grill is a treat not to be missed… so give yourself a present and treat yourself to a casual, yet special meal. It doesn’t have to be your birthday!

Did you ever eat at a little "hole in the wall" type of restaurant and fall in love with their food? You kept going back for years and years and eventually when you are not paying attention, they become a chain?

Well that's what happened to me and my love affair with Dodie's Seafood Cajun Diner.

I was first introduced to Dodie's back in 1991 when I first moved to Dallas. My cousin Abby and I used to go to their first location at 2129 Greenville Avenue, a few blocks away from Abby's house at the time, and chow down on some very authentic Louisiana style Po Boys. The food was always good and the beer was always cold... that makes for a winning combination in my book.

Over the past 18 years, Dodie's has been a regular on my eating circuit. It became even more convenient for me when my office moved just 3 blocks away a couple of years ago. Somehow I never noticed that the place I have come to love for a good Po Boy, a fried soft shell crab plate or some fried shrimp has opened several additional locations in Addison, Rockwall, McKinney, Carrollton, and Allen.

There is nothing fancy or pretentious about Dodie's... just good food and a good time for a reasonable price. And that must be a recipe for success because they haven't strayed from it in 1989. Go and try it out... but be careful not to blink or they may go from 6 to 12 locations when you're eyes are closed!

Start Planning now for NEXT weekend’s entertainment. Next Friday evening marks the beginning of CityArts, a FREE 3-day arts festival presented by TXU Energy, in the Dallas Arts District.

What’s fun and unique about CityArts is that it is truly a celebration of a variety of art forms. Everything from the Culinary Arts, to Live Dance & Music Performances, to Visual Art. The events are all free, as is admission to the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center and Crow Collection of Asian Art.

CityArts will take place in the Downtown Dallas Arts District and will feature activities for children, as well as adults. There will be culinary demonstrations and wine tastings, a judged art show featuring entries from more than 100 artists from across the country.

For hours, directions and more information, visit www.dallascityarts.com